The Labour party has significantly altered its immigration rules crackdown, exempting nearly 300,000 foreign care workers from stricter settlement requirements. This move represents a major U-turn on plans first proposed a year ago, which aimed to extend the waiting period for foreign nationals to qualify for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in Britain.
Under the revised scheme, approximately three-quarters of foreign care workers, totaling more than 282,000 individuals, will continue to qualify for ILR on a five-year basis. Additionally, those who do not meet the criteria within five years will be granted a new five-year visa, offering a second opportunity to achieve permanent residency. The new package also includes concessions for other worker categories and shorter ILR waiting times for some refugees.
The existing five-year route will be maintained for other foreign nationals in public sector roles that require lower qualifications, such as teaching assistants and nursing auxiliaries. For other workers in less-skilled jobs, the waiting period for ILR has been reduced from the previously proposed 15 years to ten years.
These changes come after considerable opposition from within the Labour party's left wing. Angela Rayner, who had previously criticized the original proposals as "un-British," has since been reappointed to the Cabinet. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood had previously warned that softening the original plans could result in a "£10billion drain on public finances" due to increased access to welfare and social housing for foreign workers, and argued that watering down the proposals would be "an affront to the idea of fairness within our society."
The revised measures are set to be implemented starting next year. All applicants for ILR will still be required to meet key criteria, including having no criminal record and demonstrating English language proficiency.