UK visa policy changes, permanent residency available within 5 years

The UK government has scrapped plans to allow foreign carers living in the UK to wait 15 years to become permanent residents. The new decision will see migrant carers who meet certain criteria granted permanent residency after five years, as previously agreed. The change comes in a proposed immigration policy by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

According to the BBC report, Shabana Mahmood had proposed increasing the period for most migrants to obtain permanent residence in the UK from five years to 10 years. There were also plans to increase the period for some migrants to 15 years. However, after opposition and criticism from several Labour Party lawmakers, the policy was relaxed for care workers.

Under the new decision, foreign carers who earn at least £25,000 a year and arrived in the UK before May 2025 will be eligible for permanent residence after completing five years under the previous rules. Those who have not met the visa requirements will be able to apply for a further five-year visa. After that, there will be a chance to get permanent residence.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Mahmud said permanent residency should not be automatic; rather, it must be qualified. However, the contribution of care workers who came to the UK during the country's time of need after the COVID-19 pandemic has been taken into account.

New deadline for other immigrants

Under the government's plan, most migrants earning less than £50,000 a year will have to wait 10 years to get permanent residency, although some professions and categories are exempted.

High earners earning more than £50,000 a year and those contributing to the health and education sectors, such as doctors and teachers, will be eligible for permanent residence after five years. Top taxpayers earning more than £125,000 a year will be able to apply after three years.

There are also plans to impose stricter time limits on refugees who cross the English Channel in small boats or enter the UK in other irregular ways. They could have to wait 20 years to get permanent residency if they work or study, and 30 years if they do neither.

Political pressure to change decision

The opposition Conservative Party sees the government's decision to maintain the five-year rule for care workers as a policy change, claiming the Home Secretary's decision could put billions of pounds of additional pressure on taxpayers.

The Conservatives' shadow home secretary, Chris Phillip, said Mahmud had backed down from his previous position due to opposition within the Labour Party. However, the home secretary claimed that the new plan would also save the government a huge amount of money. A detailed cost-benefit analysis would be published later.

The Home Office estimated in March that around 117,000 foreign carers could be granted permanent residency between 2026 and 2030. The potential lifetime cost of their care was estimated at £4.2 billion. This could rise to £9.5 billion if their adult dependents are included.

The report states that the number of people who could lose their permanent residency under the new plan has dropped from 799,000 to 517,000 under the previous rules.

Impact on Bangladeshi immigrants too

Many migrants working in the UK were worried about the long wait for permanent residency before the new decision. One of them, Bangladeshi chef Ashfaq Junaid, who works in Birmingham, told the BBC he cried when he heard his residency status had been delayed until 2033.

Meanwhile, according to Home Office data, 2.6 million people have been added to the UK's population through net migration between 2021 and 2024. Between 1.3 million and 2.2 million people could be granted permanent residence in the country between 2026 and 2030. The government's median estimate is 1.9 million.

However, criticism of the new immigration plan continues. Imran Hossain of the Refugee Council called the 30-year waiting period for refugees who arrived irregularly and are not involved in work or education unfair and unworkable.

Source: BBC