29/07/2026
House of Lords raises serious concerns over 'Earned Settlement' proposals
On Tuesday 23 June 2026, the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee published its 122-page report 'Settlement, Citizenship and Integration'. It is essential reading for anyone affected by, or advising on, the UK's proposed immigration reforms - and its conclusions are striking!
Here is what the committee found, and why it matters:
• Opposition to the 10-year settlement route
The committee opposes the proposed extension of the baseline qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain from 5 to 10 years (and longer for some groups). It warns that prolonged qualifying periods would undermine, rather than encourage, integration, increase poverty among lower-income migrants, and risk growing the unauthorised migrant population. It recommends retaining the 5-year baseline.
• Retrospective changes would be "manifestly unfair"
Applying new rules to people already on a route to settlement would, in the committee's words, be 'manifestly unfair' and potentially unlawful. It would be cutting against the rule-of-law principle that laws should be prospective, not retrospective. Experts described the policy as 'fertile ground for litigation'.
• Serious doubts over Home Office capacity
The committee is unconvinced the Home Office could deliver the new system without additional staffing, criticising a culture of reactive policymaking and the lack of a public staffing impact assessment. It calls for a recruitment drive for caseworkers, better support and retention, and more caseworkers at senior grades.
• Migration data 'woefully inadequate'
It further urges the Home Office to resume publishing exit-checks data and to improve cross-departmental data sharing, as poor data is undermining evidence-based policy.
• A clear integration agenda
The House of Lords report calls for a cross-government integration strategy for England by the end of 2026, expanded English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision, reintroduction of refugee employment programmes, settled status for children who grow up here by the age of 18, and a reform of the Life in the UK test which remains "unfit for purpose". The Committee encourages the Government to place greater value on obtaining citizenship as it should be the end goal for most settled migrants.
What happens next?
The Government must respond by 23 August 2026, although that deadline remains uncertain. With reforms expected in late 2026, this report adds significant pressure to reconsider, delay, or amend the proposals.
At Sindhu Immigration Services, we are monitoring developments closely. If you or your business may be affected by changes to settlement, ILR or sponsorship rules, please get in touch with our immigration team to discuss your circumstances.
