Mahmood scraps 15-year settlement plans for migrant care workers after Labour criticism
Care workers keep five-year route
Mahmood said care workers who arrived in the UK before May 2025 and earn at least £25,000 annually can qualify for settlement after five years. She said that salary level reflects a condition of their visa.
Settlement, also called indefinite leave to remain, allows someone to live, work and study in the UK indefinitely. Eligible people can also apply for benefits and use settlement to apply for British citizenship. Asked by the BBC whether she had reversed earlier promises, Mahmood said, “I don't accept that.” She added that about 500,000 people “will not now settle at five years.”
Different routes proposed
Under the revised plans, people earning below £50,000 a year would generally move to a 10-year route to settlement, unless exempt. Those earning more than £50,000, along with contributors in healthcare and education such as doctors and teachers, can qualify after five years. Mahmood told MPs that settlement “should not be automatic, it should be earned.” She said the changes were intended to encourage people who contribute more than they receive to come to and remain in the country.
Criticism and projected costs
The original proposal, announced last year, would have delayed 799,000 people from gaining permanent residency. The revised plan announced on Monday would reduce that estimate to 517,000.
Groups and migration figures
Some groups will retain their current settlement route, including Hong Kong British nationals overseas, armed forces members, people with a British connection and people on legacy routes such as the Windrush scheme. The Home Office said net migration added 2.6 million people to the UK population between 2021 and 2024. It defines net migration as the difference between people entering and leaving the country.
A total of 727,487 people came to the UK on visas from July 2025 to June 2026, excluding visitors and people in transit. That was 15% lower than in the same period a year earlier.
Key points
- Eligible care workers who arrived before May 2025 and earn at least £25,000 retain a five-year settlement route.
- The revised plans would move many people earning below £50,000 onto a 10-year route.
- The estimated number delayed from permanent residency falls from 799,000 to 517,000.
- The Home Office reported 727,487 visa arrivals from July 2025 to June 2026, down 15% year on year.