ASLEF: Consultation Response on Earned Settlement
Trade-union response on five-year ILR, retrospective change, worker power, integration and transitional arrangements.
Summary
ASLEF's 12 February 2026 consultation response opposes extending the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain and says the five-year route should be retained for workers on Skilled Worker visas. It rejects retrospective application to workers who came under existing rules, arguing that such a change would erode trust in institutions, demoralise workers and undermine the stated aim of integration.
It asks for transitional arrangements and meaningful consultation with trade unions. The response frames Earned Settlement as a labour-rights issue. ASLEF warns that ten-to-fifteen-year sponsored status could deepen employer dependency, reduce bargaining power, increase exploitation risk and create a two-tier workforce.
It also challenges income-based reductions and volunteering incentives, criticising a narrow fiscal view of contribution and the practical burden that volunteering requirements could impose on workers and charities.
Why this matters for the archive
This record matters because it adds a trade-union analysis to the archive. It connects settlement timelines to worker dependency, bargaining power, exploitation risk and integration, rather than treating the issue as only an immigration-administration question.
Key Observations
- ASLEF says five-year ILR should be retained for Skilled Worker visa workers.
- It expressly opposes retrospective application to workers who came under existing rules.
- It links longer sponsored status to diminished bargaining power, employer dependency and exploitation risk.
- It opposes income-based value judgements and warns that volunteering incentives could create practical and administrative burdens.