U.K Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has proposed stricter rules for migrants seeking permanent settlement. Around two million legal migrants who arrived since 2021 will now need to spend 10 years in the UK before being considered for settled status—double the previous five-year requirement. Mahmood said settlement should be “earned, not automatic,” noting that 1.6 million people were on track to qualify between 2026 and 2030.
Key proposed changes include-
- Benefits & social housing only for those who gain full British citizenship, not just settled status.
- Low-paid workers, including the 616,000 who arrived on health and social care visas (2022–2024), must wait 15 years for settlement.
- Migrants reliant on benefits will face a 20-year wait, the longest requirement in Europe.
The home secretary sought to stress that her changes would not apply to those who already had settled status.
She said those who were applying for indefinite leave to remain must have no criminal record, speak English to A-level standards and have no debt.
And she said the government was also proposing that those who speak English to a degree-level standard could qualify for a nine-year path to settlement.
Those paying the higher rate of tax could qualify at five years and those on the top rate could qualify after three – the same as those on global talent visas.
Meanwhile, those who work in a public service, including doctors, teachers, nurses, would qualify after five years – while those who volunteer could qualify at between five and seven years.
MDW Live! News Network 
U.K Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has proposed stricter rules for migrants seeking permanent settlement. Around two million legal migrants who arrived since 2021 will now need to spend 10 years in the UK before being considered for settled status—double the previous five-year requirement. Mahmood said settlement should be “earned, not automatic,” noting that 1.6 million people were on track to qualify between 2026 and 2030.
Key proposed changes include-
The home secretary sought to stress that her changes would not apply to those who already had settled status.
She said those who were applying for indefinite leave to remain must have no criminal record, speak English to A-level standards and have no debt.
And she said the government was also proposing that those who speak English to a degree-level standard could qualify for a nine-year path to settlement.
Those paying the higher rate of tax could qualify at five years and those on the top rate could qualify after three – the same as those on global talent visas.
Meanwhile, those who work in a public service, including doctors, teachers, nurses, would qualify after five years – while those who volunteer could qualify at between five and seven years.
Share this: