Do not introduce any criteria for ILR that would directly or indirectly require partner dependents who are parents to work and make specific economic contributions in their own right to be eligible for the same qualifying period for Earned Settlement alongside their partner, the main applicant.

We think decisions about whether one or both parents work are personal and should not influence immigration status. Families may balance financial stability, harmony and home life in different ways, with shared responsibilities, and valuing only economic contribution diminishes core family principles. Exclude any requirements for ‘contributions’ from dependents' ILR criteria. There are genuine cases where the main applicant has contributed to the economy and has never accessed public funds.