Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her answer to me during the Statement to the House on 2nd November on earned settlement, whether early career researchers and postdocs will be considered as part of the education sector for the purposes of settlement.

On 2 November 2026, the Home Secretary announced the Government’s final approach to earned settlement, following a 12-week public consultation which received more than 200,000 responses. The new framework will ensure that the time it takes to qualify for settlement reflects an individual’s character, contribution, integration and residence.

The Government recognises the important contribution made by early career researchers and postdoctoral researchers to the UK’s science and research base. Under the final model, the five-year pathway for public service workers in health and education will apply to specified occupations in healthcare and education, in line with the approach taken by the Migration Advisory Committee. Eligibility will therefore depend on the occupation in which an individual is employed, rather than employment in the education sector alone. The qualifying occupations are listed in Annex C of the government’s response to the consultation, which is available here: A Fairer Pathway to Settlement: Government response to the consultation.

We remain committed to publishing economic and equality impact assessments ahead of implementation. We will also publish further guidance setting out additional technical and operational detail, informed by continued engagement with affected groups and stakeholders.