World

UK Extends Permanent Residency Wait Times, Exempting Care Workers

By Al Jazeera Staff

The United Kingdom has announced new immigration rules that will double the standard waiting period for most foreign workers to obtain permanent residency, or indefinite leave to remain, to ten years. The changes, effective next year, will also set a 30‑year wait for refugees who arrive via “small boats.” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood explained the reforms in Parliament, noting that the waiting period will be linked to income. Workers earning more than £50,000 a year can apply after five years, while those earning over £125,000 can apply after three years. All other applicants will face the ten‑year requirement. The rules will apply retroactively to those already in the country.

Mahmood said the policy would “restore fairness by linking the right to settle to what immigrants contribute” and that those who do not meet the criteria would be refused or face longer waits.

Care workers will be exempt from the longer waiting period. They can settle after five years if they meet visa conditions and earn at least £25,000 a year. The government highlighted that many care workers arrived in the early 2020s to fill vacancies left by European workers after Brexit.

Refugee provisions vary: those arriving through the government’s “new safe and legal routes” can settle after five years; others face a 20‑year wait, reduced to ten years if they work or study. Refugees arriving by illegal means, such as small boats, could wait up to 30 years.

Additional disqualifiers include a criminal record, insufficient English proficiency, owing money to the government, or fewer than three years of national insurance contributions.

Mahmood estimated that about half a million people will settle later than before, saving the government billions in benefits. The government expects up to 1.4 million people to receive settled status between 2026 and 2030.

The reforms followed a 12‑week public consultation that received over 200,000 responses and are part of a broader effort to tighten immigration rules after post‑Brexit arrivals surged. They come amid political pressure from parties and activists calling for stricter migration controls, and after increased law‑enforcement cooperation between the UK and France has reportedly reduced small‑boat crossings by more than 40 percent compared with 2025.