The UK government has announced plans to significantly extend the waiting period for some foreign workers to gain permanent residency, or Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood outlined the proposals on Thursday, as part of Labour’s broader effort to reduce legal immigration and ease pressure on public services.
Under the new rules, migrants who arrive through regular channels and claim benefits for more than 12 months may have to wait 20 years before applying for ILR. Those arriving through irregular channels, such as small boat crossings, could face a 30-year wait. Low-qualified workers on health and social care visas after Brexit, or those claiming benefits for less than 12 months, would have to wait 15 years.
Mahmood stressed that ILR is “a privilege, not a right” and must be earned. Exceptions would apply for public service workers like doctors and nurses, who could qualify after five years, while high earners may be eligible after just three years.
The proposals, now subject to a 12-week public consultation, also tighten eligibility requirements. Applicants must have no criminal record, demonstrate high-level English skills, have no debts, and have paid social security tax for three years.
Labour’s announcement comes amid growing public support for the hard-right Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, which advocates scrapping ILR entirely and requiring immigrants to reapply for visas every five years. Mahmood clarified that the new measures would not affect those who already have settled status.
Critics, including refugee charities and left-leaning Labour members, have expressed concern that the reforms echo far-right rhetoric. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama accused the Home Secretary of “ethnic stereotyping” after she cited Albanian families in taxpayer-funded housing who had failed asylum claims.
The UK government estimates that between 2026 and 2030, around 1.6 million people could become eligible for ILR under current rules. The proposed changes aim to slow that growth while keeping skilled migration and public service staffing needs in mind.
