Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's initial plans to extend the period for foreign nationals to gain indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in Britain have been substantially weakened. The revised policy means that the majority of foreign care workers will continue to qualify for permanent residency after five years of residence, mirroring the current system.
This pathway allows these workers access to welfare benefits, the National Health Service, and social housing. The Home Office document indicates that the number of migrants expected to become eligible for ILR by 2030 has increased to 1.9 million, up from the 1.6 million projected under the original scope. Crucially, only about a quarter of this group, an estimated 500,000 individuals, will face waiting periods exceeding five years.
Mahmood had previously expressed concerns about the potential destabilizing effects of high immigration levels and the long-term costs to taxpayers. In a March speech, she highlighted the strain on public services from the influx of workers on low-skilled visas and estimated a lifetime cost of £10 billion to the taxpayer under the status quo. She also warned of increased waits for social housing and further pressure on the NHS.
Under the previously proposed reforms, foreign care workers were expected to wait 15 or 20 years for ILR, a significant increase from the five-year period. Approximately 382,000 care workers and their dependents were projected to become eligible for settlement by 2030. Under the revised plan, 290,000 of them, provided they obtained their visa before May of the previous year and meet a minimum salary of £25,000, will remain on the five-year track.
An additional estimated 100,000 care workers and their dependents will be given a further five-year visa to meet the requirements, after which they can reapply for ILR. High earners, those earning at least £125,141 annually, will be able to settle in three years. Individuals earning over £50,271, along with certain public service workers such as doctors and teachers, will be eligible for settlement after five years.
The changes also include allowing dependents under 25 to gain ILR alongside the primary applicant in their household, typically a parent. Previously, these dependents would have been required to meet independent criteria, including income thresholds and English language proficiency. These revised measures are slated for phased implementation beginning early next year.