UK government scraps plan of making care workers already in the UK wait for 15 years for ILR
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Verified Synthesis~64s readUK's Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has dropped a proposal that would have required some migrant care workers already in the UK to wait 15 years before qualifying for permanent settlement. Under the revised plans outlined in the House of Commons, eligible care workers who joined the social care route before May 2025 and earn at least £25,000 a year working in the sector would retain a five-year route to indefinite leave to remain.Mahmood also abandoned the proposed 15-year wait for other lower-income workers, replacing it with a 10-year pathway.
Context & Background
- ✦“The right to live in this country must now be earned, it will no longer be automatic,” she said.The home secretary said a five-year pathway would remain available to people earning more than £50,000 a year, alongside qualifying workers in healthcare and education.
Key Figures & Named Entities
2025:Under the revised plans outlined in the House of Commons, eligible care workers who joined the social care route before May 2025 and earn at least £25,000 a year working in the sector would retain a five-year route to indefinite leave to remain.Mahmood also abandoned the proposed 15-year wait for other lower-income workers, replacing it with a 10-year pathway.2022:Explaining the exemption for care workers, Mahmood said approximately 250,000 people and their dependants had arrived or switched into the social care route between 2022 and 2025.She acknowledged the pressure on the sector following the Covid-19 pandemic but alleged that the route had also been abused under the previous Conservative government.2025:Care workers who entered the route before May 2025, earn at least £25,000 in social care and meet the relevant conditions would remain eligible to apply for settlement after five years.Mahmood said a second group who had not fulfilled their visa conditions would be offered a further opportunity through an application for another five-year visa.
Outlook & Next Steps
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Key Takeaways
Verified Extract- UK's Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has dropped a proposal that would have required some migrant care workers already in the UK to wait 15 years before qualifying for permanent settlement.
- Under the revised plans outlined in the House of Commons, eligible care workers who joined the social care route before May 2025 and earn at least £25,000 a year working in the sector would retain a five-year route to indefinite leave to remain.Mahmood also abandoned the proposed 15-year wait for other lower-income workers, replacing it with a 10-year pathway.
- “The right to live in this country must now be earned, it will no longer be automatic,” she said.The home secretary said a five-year pathway would remain available to people earning more than £50,000 a year, alongside qualifying workers in healthcare and education.
Key Facts:2025: Under the revised plans outlined in the House of Commons, eligible care workers who joined the social care route before May 2025 and earn at least £25,000 a year working in the sector would retain a five-year route to indefinite leave to remain.Mahmood also abandoned the proposed 15-year wait for other lower-income workers, replacing it with a 10-year pathway.2022: Explaining the exemption for care workers, Mahmood said approximately 250,000 people and their dependants had arrived or switched into the social care route between 2022 and 2025.She acknowledged the pressure on the sector following the Covid-19 pandemic but alleged that the route had also been abused under the previous Conservative government.2025: Care workers who entered the route before May 2025, earn at least £25,000 in social care and meet the relevant conditions would remain eligible to apply for settlement after five years.Mahmood said a second group who had not fulfilled their visa conditions would be offered a further opportunity through an application for another five-year visa.2025: She added that there were tens of thousands of genuine vacancies in social care and said people with the relevant skills seeking another role should be able to find employment.The home secretary said the same transitional approach would apply to qualifying public-sector workers in healthcare and education who came to the UK before May 2025.
Editorial Excerpt
UK's Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has dropped a proposal that would have required some migra
Frequently Asked Questions About This Story
What is the key takeaway from this report?
UK's Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has dropped a proposal that would have required some migrant care workers already in the UK to wait 15 years before qualifying for permanent settlement.
What additional context is highlighted in this report?
Under the revised plans outlined in the House of Commons, eligible care workers who joined the social care route before May 2025 and earn at least £25,000 a year working in the sector would retain a five-year route to indefinite leave to remain.Mahmood also abandoned the proposed 15-year wait for other lower-income workers, replacing it with a 10-year pathway.
What timeline or key figures were confirmed?
Under the revised plans outlined in the House of Commons, eligible care workers who joined the social care route before May 2025 and earn at least £25,000 a year working in the sector would retain a five-year route to indefinite leave to remain.Mahmood also abandoned the proposed 15-year wait for other lower-income workers, replacing it with a 10-year pathway.
