UK keeps five-year residency path for migrant care workers

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. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the revised policy on Monday, November 2, 2026, after Labour lawmakers warned that longer settlement periods could worsen workforce shortages in the social care sector.

Under the revised framework, migrant care workers who arrived in the UK before May 2025, earn at least £25,000 annually and meet their visa conditions will remain eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years. Workers who fail to meet their original visa conditions may apply for another five-year visa and seek employment with legitimate care providers.

The decision is part of broader Earned Settlement reforms that will extend the standard qualifying period for most foreign workers from five to ten years. Migrants earning below £50,000 will generally face a ten-year settlement period, while higher earners above £50,000, as well as eligible doctors, nurses and teachers, will qualify after five years, and those earning above £125,000 after three years.

Mahmood disclosed that approximately 517,000 migrants would face delayed settlement under the revised proposals, compared with 799,000 under the earlier framework. The government said roughly 250,000 care workers and their dependants entered or switched into the social care route between 2022 and 2025. The move follows a series of immigration restrictions aimed at reducing reliance on foreign workers in the social care sector, which has faced allegations of exploitation.