The UK government has partially reversed plans that would have required low-paid migrant workers, including care staff, to wait 15 years before applying for settlement. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said an estimated 280,000 care workers and their dependents will instead be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years.
The exemption does not cover everyone. Under the announced conditions, workers must earn at least £25,000 a year and have entered or switched to the care-worker visa route before the government’s 2025 white paper was published. Those who do not qualify will need to secure another five-year health and social care visa before applying for settlement.
The policy has drawn criticism because social care is already experiencing staff shortages, while the number of British and migrant workers entering the sector is declining. Campaigners have warned that requiring some workers to renew their visas could leave them more exposed to exploitation by employers.
The government has not set out what public benefit the restrictions are intended to deliver or how they fit with its planned care reforms. The changes come after tighter immigration rules have made recruiting international staff more difficult, despite the sector’s reliance on migrant workers.
The debate has also focused on migrants’ financial contribution. The Institute for Public Policy Research estimates that skilled migrants, including care workers, and their families who are expected to settle under current rules could contribute £115 billion to public finances through taxes. That estimate does not include the wider savings associated with care, such as helping relatives remain in paid work or reducing the risk that older people need hospital treatment after falls.
The remaining eligibility rules mean that some care workers will face a longer route to settlement even as the government seeks to address pressures in social care.
Sources: The Guardian Business.