UK care workers have dodged a 15-year wait for permanent residency under a policy change by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Foreign staff who came to Britain before May 2025 and make at least £25,000 a year can still apply after five years, rather than face a far longer wait.
Labour MPs had pushed back against the plan, as it would affect migrants who had moved under less strict rules. Angela Rayner, the housing secretary, also argued that it was unfair to change the deal after people had made the move.
But the wider immigration shake-up is still very much alive. Most migrants on less than £50,000 a year could face a decade-long path to settlement. Around 500,000 people may have their wait extended, according to Mahmood.
There is another catch for care staff. Anyone who fails to meet their visa conditions can seek a fresh five-year visa before applying for settled status. That leaves some workers with a longer route, despite the exemption.
Mahmood defended the change in Parliament. Her view is that migrants should meet set conditions before gaining a permanent right to stay. She also pointed to the role overseas carers played in filling staff gaps after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives are questioning the price tag. They claim the reversal could add billions to the public bill, although the government has yet to release a new cost estimate.
Earlier Home Office estimates put the cost of the old settlement system at £4.2 billion for 117,000 care workers set to qualify during 2026 through 2030. Add adult family dependents, and that figure rises to £9.5 billion.
Mahmood argues that longer waits for people in other jobs will still cut spending by billions. Yet she has not given a revised figure for the care worker exemption, with a full financial review due later.
Migration figures add more context. Net arrivals raised the UK's population by 2.6 million from 2021 through 2024. Officials expect between 1.3 million and 2.2 million migrants to become eligible for settlement during 2026 through 2030, with 1.9 million as their main forecast.
For anyone tracking the rules, indefinite leave to remain, or ILR, means no fixed limit on living, studying, or working in Britain. It can also open access to benefits for eligible people and provide a path toward British citizenship.
And there is a key split here. The exemption helps care staff already in Britain who meet the stated rules. It does not restore the route for new overseas care worker visa applicants, which the UK has separately closed.
Labour MPs had pushed back against the plan, as it would affect migrants who had moved under less strict rules. Angela Rayner, the housing secretary, also argued that it was unfair to change the deal after people had made the move.
But the wider immigration shake-up is still very much alive. Most migrants on less than £50,000 a year could face a decade-long path to settlement. Around 500,000 people may have their wait extended, according to Mahmood.
There is another catch for care staff. Anyone who fails to meet their visa conditions can seek a fresh five-year visa before applying for settled status. That leaves some workers with a longer route, despite the exemption.
Mahmood defended the change in Parliament. Her view is that migrants should meet set conditions before gaining a permanent right to stay. She also pointed to the role overseas carers played in filling staff gaps after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives are questioning the price tag. They claim the reversal could add billions to the public bill, although the government has yet to release a new cost estimate.
Earlier Home Office estimates put the cost of the old settlement system at £4.2 billion for 117,000 care workers set to qualify during 2026 through 2030. Add adult family dependents, and that figure rises to £9.5 billion.
Mahmood argues that longer waits for people in other jobs will still cut spending by billions. Yet she has not given a revised figure for the care worker exemption, with a full financial review due later.
Migration figures add more context. Net arrivals raised the UK's population by 2.6 million from 2021 through 2024. Officials expect between 1.3 million and 2.2 million migrants to become eligible for settlement during 2026 through 2030, with 1.9 million as their main forecast.
For anyone tracking the rules, indefinite leave to remain, or ILR, means no fixed limit on living, studying, or working in Britain. It can also open access to benefits for eligible people and provide a path toward British citizenship.
And there is a key split here. The exemption helps care staff already in Britain who meet the stated rules. It does not restore the route for new overseas care worker visa applicants, which the UK has separately closed.
