“I Moved From India to the UK With My Wife and Children for a Better Life, but the New Immigration Rules Have Left My Family Worried About Our Future-Care Worker Says

A care worker who moved to the UK with his wife and two children has spoken about how the Government’s proposed immigration changes could affect his family’s future. He says the uncertainty has already forced him to put important plans on hold, including buying a family home.

Naveen Paul, 44, and his wife work long hours at a care home in Suffolk. Because of their busy schedules, they hardly have enough time to spend together as a family.

Paul works during the day while his wife works at night. This means they can only spend a few hours together with their two daughters when their days off happen to fall on the same day.

The couple work around 48 hours a week, looking after elderly and vulnerable people who depend on their care.

However, the family is now worried about the Government’s proposed immigration changes, which could make care workers wait much longer before they can settle permanently in the UK.

Under the current rules, many eligible care workers can apply for indefinite leave to remain after living and working in the UK for five years. But under the proposed changes, some workers could be required to wait 15 years before qualifying.

The Government is also considering a system that would allow some migrants to reduce their waiting time by meeting certain conditions, including doing voluntary work in their communities.

For Paul, this raises a serious question about how care workers who already work long hours will find the time to take on more responsibilities.

“We work 48 hours a week, we spend more than half of our time with the residents and the rest of the time with the kids,” he explained.

He questioned where he and his wife would find extra time to volunteer when they are already struggling to balance their jobs and family life.

Paul and his wife moved from India to the UK in 2022 with their two daughters, who are now aged six and 12.

Since arriving, they have worked in the care sector and built their lives around the immigration rules that were in place when they moved.

They had expected to become eligible for permanent settlement after five years, provided they continued to meet the necessary requirements.

However, the proposed changes could add another ten years to their waiting period, leaving them uncertain about their future.

Paul explained that his family made important decisions based on the existing immigration system. They believed that if they followed the rules, worked hard and met the requirements, they would eventually be able to settle permanently.

Now, he fears those expectations could change before they reach the end of their original five-year pathway.

He said the uncertainty is particularly difficult because his children are growing up in the UK and already see the country as their home.

His daughters attend British schools, have made friends and have become familiar with life in the country.

According to Paul, the family moved to Britain because they wanted better opportunities, particularly a good education and a brighter future for their children.

The proposed changes could also affect how much his daughters would have to pay if they decide to attend university in the future.

Under the existing rules, the family expected that their children could qualify for home tuition fees by the time they reached university age, provided they met the relevant conditions.

However, if their settlement is delayed, they could face much higher international student fees instead.

The uncertainty has also affected the family’s financial plans.

Paul revealed that he had been preparing to buy a house for his wife and children last year. But after hearing about the proposed immigration changes, he decided to postpone the purchase.

He explained that buying a property would involve a large financial commitment, and he does not want to take that risk while his family’s long-term immigration status remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is reportedly considering changes to the proposals following growing criticism from Labour MPs.

More than 100 Labour MPs have raised concerns about the reforms, with senior Labour figures also questioning whether some of the proposed rules would be fair.

One option reportedly being considered is allowing care workers to receive special treatment because of their professional experience and the important services they provide.

Mahmood had previously suggested that some parts of the immigration reforms could be changed after feedback showed that certain proposals were considered unfair.

For Paul, the possibility of an exemption has brought some relief, although he says his family cannot make firm plans until the Government announces a final decision.

He welcomed the reports but explained that there is still no clear information about exactly what will happen to care workers who are already living and working in the UK.

Paul also disagrees with the idea that care workers should have to complete additional voluntary work to qualify for earlier settlement.

He believes that people working in care homes are already making an important contribution to British society.

Care workers support elderly people, help vulnerable residents with their daily needs and allow their relatives to continue working because they know their loved ones are receiving care.

He argued that the value of someone’s contribution to society should not be judged only by how much money they earn.

According to Paul, care workers perform essential duties, even though many do not receive high salaries.

He believes it would be unfair to introduce a system that gives people on higher wages a shorter route to settlement while requiring lower-paid essential workers to wait much longer.

He also warned that the changes could make the existing shortage of care workers in Britain even worse.

Figures from Skills for Care show that the sector has close to 100,000 job vacancies, highlighting the difficulties employers face in finding and keeping enough staff.

A report by Justice for Carers, a group representing more than 10,000 care workers across the UK, suggested that 41 per cent of workers surveyed could leave the country if the proposed settlement changes go ahead.

Paul believes this could create serious problems for care homes and the wider health and social care system.

He questioned how the Government could successfully introduce a National Care Service if there are not enough workers available to provide care.

Another suggestion being discussed is that the new immigration rules should apply only to people who arrive in the UK after the changes take effect.

Under this approach, migrants who are already living and working in Britain could be allowed to continue under their existing settlement arrangements.

There have also been discussions about allowing some migrants to obtain permanent settlement while placing restrictions on their access to certain benefits.

Paul believes protecting people who moved to the UK under the previous rules would be a fairer solution.

He argues that families who have already spent years working towards settlement should not suddenly face a much longer waiting period after making major life decisions based on the existing system.

For now, Paul and his wife are continuing their jobs and caring for their children while waiting to hear what the Government decides.

Although reports of a possible exemption have given them hope, the couple remain worried about whether they will be able to secure permanent settlement and continue building their future in Britain.

A Home Office spokesperson confirmed that the Government is reviewing responses to its consultation on the proposed changes.

The spokesperson said the Government wants to introduce a system in which permanent settlement must be earned rather than granted automatically.

However, the final details of the reforms, including whether care workers already living in the UK will receive special protection, have not yet been confirmed.