UK scraps proposed 15-year settlement wait for migrant care workers, including thousands from Africa, but attaches conditions

The UK government has backed away from a proposal that could have forced thousands of migrant care workers already living in the country to wait up to 15 years before qualifying for permanent settlement, offering relief to overseas employees from Africa and other regions.

• The UK government has dropped a plan that would have forced migrant care workers to wait up to 15 years before qualifying for permanent settlement.
• Instead, eligible care workers who arrived before May 2025 can still apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years, provided they meet certain requirements.
• These requirements include earning at least £25,000 annually, English proficiency, a clean criminal record, no government debts among others.
• The revised policy is particularly significant for African care workers, who make up a large part of the overseas care workforce in the UK.

The proposal formed part of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s earned-settlement reforms, outlined in the House of Commons on November 20, 2025. Announcing the plans, she argued that permanent settlement should be earned, telling MPs: “To settle in this country forever is not a right, but a privilege, and it must be earned.”

The government proposed extending the standard qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from five to 10 years, while setting a separate 15-year baseline for lower-paid migrants who arrived through the Health and Care visa route, including care workers and their dependants.

Mahmood said: “It is right that we apply more stringent controls for this group. For that reason, we propose they should wait 15 years before they can earn settlement.”

The proposal was never brought into force.

Following opposition from Labour lawmakers, trade unions and care-sector organisations, Mahmood announced a revised framework in the House of Commons on November 2, 2026, preserving a conditional five-year settlement route for eligible care workers.

The five-year route gives eligible care workers the option to secure permanent residency earlier, but they can still choose to wait longer before applying for citizenship.

Those who arrived before May 2025 can still qualify for ILR after five years if they meet the requirements. About 146,000 care workers and 136,000 dependants could benefit from the revised arrangements, according to The Guardian.

The conditions attached to the five-year route

Care workers must earn at least £25,000 annually and have complied with their visa conditions.

Applicants will also face wider settlement requirements, including English-language proficiency, a clean criminal record, no outstanding government debts and a record of National Insurance contributions.

Workers who do not meet the requirements may be eligible for a further five-year visa, giving them time to find qualifying employment and meet the conditions. The concession does not cover every migrant working in care, and eligibility will depend on individual circumstances and transitional arrangements.

The announcement is particularly relevant to African workers, who form part of Britain’s overseas care workforce.

Mahmood has defended the wider reforms as a move towards a system in which settlement is earned through contribution and responsibility. In her earlier statement setting out the proposals, she told MPs that “to settle in this country forever is not a right, but a privilege, and it must be earned.”

While care workers have secured a reprieve from the proposed 15-year wait, the government is proceeding with its plan to extend the standard settlement qualifying period for most migrants from five to 10 years. The revised framework therefore offers relief to eligible existing care workers without reversing the broader tightening of Britain’s immigration rules.