The United Kingdom’s Labour government has announced new plans that will make many foreign workers wait much longer before they can apply for permanent residency, also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
The new proposals were revealed by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Thursday as part of a wider effort to reduce both legal and illegal immigration. The government says the changes are necessary to ease pressure on public services and respond to growing public concern about migration levels.
Waiting Period Could Rise to 20 or Even 30 Years
Under the proposed rules:
Most legal migrants may need to wait 10 years instead of the current 5 to be eligible for ILR.
Migrants who have received government benefits for more than 12 months would need to wait 20 years.
Those who enter the UK through irregular routes would need to wait 30 years.
Low-skilled workers on health and social care visas and migrants who received benefits for less than a year may need to wait 15 years.
However, some groups will still qualify faster:
Doctors, nurses, and other essential public service workers may still apply after 5 years.
High-income earners may qualify in 3 years.
The government says these rules are now open for 12 weeks of public consultation and could take effect in April next year.
Why is the UK Toughening Its Rules?
The Labour government is under pressure from rising public support for the anti-immigration Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage. The party has been calling for even tougher restrictions and wants ILR to be abolished entirely.
Home Secretary Mahmood told parliament that being allowed to settle in the UK permanently is “a privilege, not a right”, saying immigration levels in recent years have been “destabilising.”
The government estimates that 1.6 million people could become eligible for ILR between 2026 and 2030 if no changes are made.
New Requirements to Stay in the UK Permanently
Anyone applying for ILR under the new rules must:
Have no criminal record
Speak English at a high level
Have no outstanding debts
Have paid social security tax for at least three years
ILR allows migrants to live, work, and study in the UK without restrictions and is a key step toward citizenship.
Criticism and International Reactions
The new plans have already drawn criticism from refugee rights organizations, Labour’s left wing, and some foreign governments.
Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama accused Mahmood of repeating “far-right rhetoric” after she mentioned cases of failed Albanian asylum seekers living in taxpayer-funded housing.
Mahmood said the new rules do not affect people who already have settled status.
Earlier this week, she also announced plans to reduce protections for refugees and to ban visas for countries that refuse to take back migrants who arrive illegally.
