Keep existing skilled worker visa holders’ 5 year route to settlement

Extending the settlement route obliterates economic stability—businesses, academia, and NHS depend on a guaranteed five-year path to retain talent. In 2006, shifting from 4 to 5 years to ILR for HSMP holders caused critical controversy and was deemed illegal by the High Court. Skilled workers bought homes, invested, paid taxes, and built communities under the five-year promise; changing this now breaks trust, burdens employers and families, inflates costs, and tarnishes the UK’s global standing.