Writing to your MP about the earned settlement proposals
Our FAQs have information on the earned settlement proposals. We appreciate that everyone will have their own view on the proposals and will be affected by it in different ways. Some people may want to object to the earned settlement proposals as much as possible. Something you may like to do is write to your MP to share your views on the proposals and try to ensure your MP is made fully aware of the depth of feeling on the issues.
You can find the email address of your MP at this link. You may well have things in mind that you want to say and know how you want to say it. If you would like some ideas on what to say, we hope the following template will help you. It is intended as a starting point for you to amend as you wish and you’ll see you will need to delete some of the text which doesn’t apply to you:
Email subject: Urgent earned settlement proposals feedback
Dear [MP name],
As one of your constituents, I want to bring to your attention my serious concerns about the government’s earned settlement proposals. As you will know, in November 2025 the consultation paper A Fairer Pathway to Settlement was released. The consultation paper set out wide ranging changes to the rules on eligibility for settlement (indefinite leave to remain).
I am in the UK on the basis of [insert details of your immigration status – such as a sponsored Skilled Worker visa or partner visa, as well as any details of family members with you in the UK].
You will appreciate that the route to settlement is something of fundamental importance to me. Before I arrived in the UK I based many life decisions around when I would qualify for settlement. I trusted the UK to stick to the rules which were presented to me at that time. I feel betrayed that the rules could be changed in the very near future. I understand the rules may change as early as March/April 2026 and could even apply to people already here in the UK. I have many concerns about the earned settlement proposals but none less so than the fear there will not be transitional arrangements for people like me already in the UK – with our lives firmly established here.
I am also particularly concerned that [Insert here areas you are particularly concerned by. For example:
- You may be a Skilled Worker who is concerned about your settlement qualifying period doubling to 10 years.
- You may be a Skilled Worker sponsored in a role below RQF level 6 meaning you could be put on a baseline 15-year track to settlement – possibly when your sponsor merely chose your occupation code based on what was the closest fit to your role.
- Alternatively you may have a partner visa. If you are the partner of someone with ILR (as opposed to a British citizen) you may be concerned that your settlement qualifying period may double to 10 years.
- If you are a family member or have family members, you may be concerned about the proposed new requirement to have earned at least £12,570 for 3-5 years, perhaps in circumstances where the family member isn’t working and may have childcare responsibilities.
- You may have originally entered with a visitor visa and are concerned you could be penalised with a much longer qualifying period.
- You may have children who are planning to go to university and you had planned for them to have settlement before going in order that they can qualify for home university fees rather than the much more expensive overseas student fees]
More generally, I do not understand how enforcing a longer settlement qualifying period could meet the government’s objective of aiding integration. Quite the opposite – as someone in the UK with a visa, I feel these proposals marginalise me and do not send a message in keeping with me feeling integrated into society.
It should come as no surprise that these proposals are causing [my family and] me great stress given the uncertainty surrounding the future immigration rules. Whilst I appreciate that like any other country the UK may wish to change its immigration rules, these are drastic changes which appear to be driven by party-political pressures more than being based on evidence-based research to provide tangible benefits. As I say, if the new rules will apply to people like me already in the UK I would find that a total breach of trust.
Given the massive changes being proposed, I would urge you to please press for a delay to any implementation of the new rules while the government fully considers the cost of implementing the measures and seeks full independent assessment and advice from the Migration Advisory Committee. I also ask that, if the proposals are to become law, you push for transitional arrangements to be put in place. Please argue against the earned settlement proposals and raise my concerns as far as possible.
Thank you for any assistance you can provide on this important issue. If you need any further information from me, please let me know.
Kind regards
[Name]
Further information
If you have any questions please contact a member of the immigration team.