Earned Settlement and Citizenship | White Paper

The Government is proposing to reform the Rules around settlement and citizenship to ensure that these statuses are earned through significant contributions to the UK.

Key measures include:

• Extending the qualifying period to settlement: Controversially, the Government’s White Paper and a motion tabled to amend the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill include proposals to increase the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years, with opportunities to reduce this period based on contributions to the UK economy and society
• Support for vulnerable groups: While there is very little detail on the proposals, they do indicate that the Government will maintain shorter pathways to settlement for non-UK dependants of British citizens and introduce new routes for bereaved parents and children who have been in the UK for a long time
• Revised citizenship criteria: It is understood that the proposals will align citizenship reforms with the new settlement rules, meaning that it will take far longer to secure British citizenship. The changes also include a refresh of the Life in the UK test and measures to reduce financial barriers to citizenship for young adults.