UK reverses 15-year settlement plan for migrant care workers, retains five-year pathway
The United Kingdom government has reversed its proposal to extend the permanent residency qualifying period for migrant care workers to 15 years, allowing eligible foreign workers, including Nigerians, to retain the existing five-year settlement pathway. The post UK reverses 15-year settlement plan for migrant care workers, retains five-year pathway appeared first on Nairametrics .
The UK government has reversed its plan to extend the permanent residency qualifying period for migrant care workers to 15 years, instead opting to retain the existing five-year pathway. This decision, announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on November 2, 2026, was made in response to opposition from Labour lawmakers who argued that longer settlement periods could exacerbate workforce shortages in the country’s social care sector.
Under the revised policy, migrant care workers who arrived in the UK before May 2025, earn a minimum of £25,000 annually, and meet their visa conditions will be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after five years. This adjustment is part of the government's Earned Settlement reforms, which will extend the standard qualifying period for most foreign workers from five to 10 years.
However, care workers who did not meet their original visa conditions will still be allowed to apply for another five-year visa, during which they can secure employment with legitimate care providers.
Brief written by urgent.news from Nairametrics's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
