Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has set out plans to overhaul immigration rules. Proposals to change the requirements to qualify for permanent settlement in the UK were first outlined in detail in November 2025, when Mahmood was home secretary in Sir Keir Starmer’s government. Following a consultation, external, Mahmood has now announced her final decision on what changes should be taken forward. Labour MPs pull their punches on immigration changes Mahmood scraps settlement plans for migrant care workers Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) – also known as settlement – gives someone the right to live, work and study in the UK for as long as they like.
Under the current system, people with ILR can also apply for benefits if they are eligible. People who have lived in the UK for 12 months after being given ILR can apply for British citizenship, if they also meet other requirements, external. Under the government’s plans, the standard length of time migrants will have to live in the UK to qualify for permanent settlement will double from five to 10 years. Under this 10-year pathway, applicants must have earned at least £12,571 for five of the seven years immediately before being granted settlement.
However, there will be a shorter qualifying period of five years for certain groups, including: People who earned at least £50,271 for three of five years immediately before applying for settlement Care workers who earned at least £25,000 a year while meeting their visa conditions and arrived in the UK before May 2025 “Skilled” public service workers, such as doctors, nurses and teachers Other health and education public service workers who fall below this skill level, for example nursing auxiliaries and teaching assistants, if they arrived in the UK before May 2025 People from Hong Kong who hold British National (Overseas) status People earning over £125,141 a year, as well as “highly skilled” migrants such as those on Global Talent or Innovator Founder visas, will qualify after three years. Migrants who have claimed certain benefits or breached immigration rules will only be able to settle after at least 20 years. To qualify for settlement, migrants will also have to meet other conditions including: Speak English to a high standard Owe no debt to the taxpayer Earn at least £12,571 a year for at least three years, aligned with the threshold for paying income tax There will be a different set of rules for refugees – people who have been granted asylum in the UK because they are unable to return to their own country as they fear persecution. Refugees who arrived in the UK through an official government scheme will qualify for settlement after five years.
However, other refugees will need to wait 10 years and either work or study. Those who do not work or study will need to wait 20 years. Refugees who arrived in the UK by small boat or another illegal route will have to wait 20 years if they work or study, and 30 years if they don’t. The changes will apply to migrants who are already in the UK but not those who have already been granted settlement.
A partner who arrives with someone who then applies for ILR will be able to settle at the same time, as long as they meet the relevant requirements. However, a partner who joins later will need to complete the same qualifying residence period before they are eligible for settlement. Eligible couples will be able to combine their earnings to meet the minimum income requirement. The household income threshold will be £25,142 – twice the individual minimum income requirement.
Children under 18 will continue to be able to settle with their parents. They will be exempt from the income, government debt, English language and Life in the UK test requirements, but will remain subject to the relevant suitability and criminality requirements. Young adults aged 18 to 24, who remain dependant on their family, will also continue to be able to settle alongside them. They will be expected to meet all the adult mandatory requirements but not the individual income requirement.
Someone who is aged 25 or over when their family becomes eligible for settlement will be expected to qualify independently. Eligible partners, parents and children of British citizens will continue to qualify for settlement after five years.
