The Times: Home Office May Exempt the Existing Migrant Cohort From the Settlement Qualifying-Period Doubling
National reporting that the Home Office may exempt the existing cohort from the settlement qualifying-period doubling, allowing indefinite leave to remain after five years rather than ten, with a longer wait to access benefits.
Summary
The Times reports the Home Office may exempt up to 1.6 million migrants already in Britain from the doubling of the indefinite leave to remain qualifying period, letting them settle after five years rather than ten but waiting longer to access benefits. It is described by government sources as a possible compromise, not a decision, after a letter from nearly 80 Labour MPs.
Why this matters for the archive
This external source is included as part of SWJA's curated External Sources & Commentary layer because it provides institutional, legal, parliamentary or analytical context for retrospective settlement reform and existing Skilled Worker pathways.