Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced major changes to the rules for migrants who want to live permanently in the United Kingdom.
Under the new plans, some migrants could qualify for permanent settlement after just three years, while others may have to wait up to 30 years, depending on how they entered the country, their employment situation, earnings and immigration history.
The changes are part of the government’s efforts to introduce a stricter immigration system while recognising migrants who work, pay taxes and contribute to British society.
Mahmood said the new system would be fair to migrants who follow the rules and contribute to the country, while also protecting British taxpayers from additional financial pressure.
The Home Secretary explained that the government had made several adjustments to its original proposals following a public consultation. One of the biggest changes concerns foreign care workers who came to Britain after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under the original proposals, many migrant care workers already living in the UK would have been required to wait 15 years before applying for indefinite leave to remain, also known as ILR. This is the immigration status that allows eligible people to live and work in Britain without a time limit.
However, the government has now decided to reduce the waiting period for certain care workers, allowing them to apply for permanent settlement after five years if they meet the necessary conditions.
According to the revised plans, care workers who arrived in Britain on a care visa between the pandemic and May 2025 will be able to apply for settlement after five years, provided they have followed their visa conditions and earn at least £25,000 a year.
This change could bring relief to thousands of foreign care workers who have been concerned about their future in Britain.
The government has also introduced special arrangements for care workers who were affected by dishonest employers.
Some foreign workers arrived in the UK after being sponsored by companies that promised them jobs which did not actually exist. As a result, many found themselves struggling to meet their visa conditions despite entering the country through an official immigration route.
The Home Office estimates that around a quarter of the care workers who arrived during the affected period experienced problems involving such employers.
Under the revised proposals, eligible workers in this situation will be given another opportunity to remain in Britain through a new five-year visa.
However, there is an important condition. They must secure an offer of genuine, stable employment within 120 days to qualify for the new visa.
Those who cannot find a suitable job within that period will be expected to leave the United Kingdom.
Apart from the changes affecting care workers, the Home Secretary has also explained how the new settlement system will apply to other categories of migrants.
Under the proposals, migrants earning more than £125,141 a year and paying the additional rate of income tax could qualify for permanent settlement after three years.
The same three-year period would apply to certain highly skilled migrants, including people who entered Britain through routes such as the Global Talent visa and Innovator Founder visa.
Migrants earning more than £50,271 annually and paying the higher rate of income tax would generally be able to apply for settlement after five years.
The five-year route would also be available to certain skilled public sector workers, including doctors, nurses and teachers.
Refugees who entered Britain through government-approved safe and legal routes would also qualify for the five-year settlement period under the plans.
For many other migrants, however, the standard waiting period would increase to 10 years.
This would affect people earning below the specified income thresholds who do not qualify for one of the shorter settlement routes.
Some refugees who entered Britain legally, such as those who originally arrived on a visa before claiming asylum, would also face a 10-year waiting period if they are working or studying.
Other migrants could face much longer waiting periods depending on their circumstances.
Under the proposals, migrants who claim certain benefits while living in Britain or commit particular immigration offences could be required to wait 20 years before becoming eligible for permanent settlement.
The 20-year period would also apply to some refugees who did not arrive by small boat but are not working or studying.
Refugees who entered Britain by crossing the English Channel in small boats could face a 20-year wait if they are working or studying.
Those who arrived by small boat and are neither working nor studying could face the longest waiting period of 30 years before becoming eligible for permanent settlement.
These different waiting periods show how the government intends to make employment, income and compliance with immigration rules important factors in deciding when migrants can settle permanently in the UK.
The Home Office is also planning to introduce tougher requirements that migrants must meet before they can receive indefinite leave to remain.
Under the proposed rules, applicants would need to have a clean criminal record, demonstrate English language ability equivalent to A-level standard, and show that they have contributed to National Insurance for at least three years.
They would also need to demonstrate that they do not owe money to the British taxpayer.
These requirements would apply alongside the waiting periods for settlement, meaning that simply spending the required number of years in Britain would not automatically guarantee permanent residency.
The Home Secretary believes the changes will encourage migrants to work, follow immigration rules and contribute financially to the country.
Mahmood also said the reforms could reduce the government’s benefits spending by billions of pounds, although the exact savings would depend on how the measures are introduced and applied.
The government argues that the new approach will create a system that rewards migrants who contribute to British society while ensuring that existing residents are not expected to carry additional financial burdens.
However, the proposals could have serious consequences for migrants who have already spent several years building their lives in Britain, particularly those who expected to qualify for permanent settlement after five years under the previous arrangements.
For some migrants, the changes could mean waiting considerably longer before gaining the security of indefinite leave to remain.
Others, including eligible care workers, higher earners and certain skilled professionals, could benefit from shorter settlement periods.
The government plans to begin introducing the necessary immigration rule changes in December 2026, with the wider reforms expected to be implemented gradually throughout 2027.
Until the changes are formally introduced, migrants should continue to follow the immigration rules currently in force.
The full effect of the reforms will depend on the final rules published by the Home Office, including how they apply to people already living and working in Britain.
For thousands of migrants hoping to make the United Kingdom their permanent home, the coming months could be particularly important as the government prepares to change the conditions for obtaining indefinite leave to remain.
