Vanessa Ganguin explains how HR can respond to the UK settlement consultation for HR Magazine

13 January 2026

The UK government plans to overhaul the current predictable five-year route to settlement for most people on work and family visas. It is proposed that higher rate taxpayers, certain public servants and those volunteering for charities may continue to qualify for settlement after five-years. But there will be hurdles that could double, triple of even quadruple the number of years spent in the UK before people are eligible to settle.

People have until 12 February to respond to the “earned settlement consultation” which everyone is invited to, both as an individual and as an organisation. It’s anonymous and mainly multiple-choice. These are radical reforms with consequences for employers, workers and their families. Proposals may directly impact recruitment, retention, employment and immigration costs.

Managing Partner Vanessa Ganguin has written this article in HR Magazine on why the consultation matters and how to respond,  plus Associate James Lamont has written this more detailed explainer on what is proposed. You can find a link to the online consultation in both pieces.

“A public consultation has now been launched on radical government proposals that turn the current predictable five-year path to settlement into a complex system which potentially saddles employers, job candidates and families with many more years of immigration costs, bureaucracy and insecurity. This month we have a rare opportunity to influence immigration rules before they are finalised, rather than simply reacting to fresh hurdles for employers and the employees they look after,” writes Vanessa Ganguin.

“For HR teams, settlement is not a niche immigration issue. It directly impacts retention, employment costs and the attractiveness of Britain to build a life and career.”

You can read more about what is proposed here. We would urge everybody to respond to the public consultation which ends on 12 February 2026 as the proposals are radical and may affect you, your employees, loved one and friends. You can read more about how to respond to the consultation and what questions mean here.

Following the consultation, we expect the relevant statement of changes of the Immigration Rules, which will contain many or most of the intended changes in full, to be published around March 2026 for implementation starting in April. Until then, everyone worried about these proposals should respond to the public consultation.

You can contact us using the form below if you have any concerns.