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Trade unions are actively urging the government to reconsider its proposed changes to immigration regulations that would significantly delay the path to permanent residency for foreign workers in the UK. If implemented, most migrants would face a ten-year wait to obtain permanent residence, an increase from the current five-year requirement. Specifically, workers holding health and social care visas would be required to wait 15 years before qualifying.
These proposals, initially announced last year by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, remain in place under the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham. At the recent Trades Union Congress (TUC) meeting, delegates passed a motion demanding that any alterations affecting workers already residing in the UK be withdrawn. A government spokesperson confirmed that ministers have received around 200,000 responses to a public consultation, launched during Sir Keir Starmer’s tenure as Prime Minister, and are reviewing the feedback carefully.
Mahmood has defended the government’s stance by highlighting the “unprecedented” number of arrivals in the UK as a key reason for the changes. According to the proposed rules, the standard waiting period to secure indefinite leave to remain (ILR)—the right to live, work, and study indefinitely—would be extended to ten years. Those on health and social care visas would endure a 15-year wait, and individuals who have claimed benefits for over a year would face an even longer wait of 20 years. While existing permanent residents would be exempt, the regulations would impact those already living in the country who anticipated gaining settlement status shortly.
The proposals have drawn criticism from certain Labour MPs, who oppose applying these changes retroactively to migrants already in the UK. Before her appointment as housing secretary by Burnham, Angela Rayner, a former care worker and then backbench MP, condemned the plans as “un-British.” She cautioned that “moving the goalposts undermines our sense of fair play,” sentiments Burnham later acknowledged, saying that Labour should heed Rayner’s perspective.
Unison, the UK’s largest union, voiced strong concerns about the government’s approach, describing it as “sweeping attacks on migrant workers which render them second-class citizens in the UK.” Debbie Rowden, Unison’s senior vice president, emphasized the risk of driving away crucial international staff amid shortages in vital sectors like care, where the new qualification period would triple. Rowden pointed out the disparity, stating, “The government wants to give bankers a three-year route to settlement, but social care workers will be kept waiting for 15 years.” She highlighted the inequality affecting roles such as nursing auxiliaries, health care assistants, and probation workers, questioning what this says about the nation’s values when financial sector employees are prioritized over public service workers.
Supporting the motion, the Society of Radiographers highlighted the essential contribution of international technicians in filling gaps within the NHS workforce. They noted that between January and March this year, their numbers fell by 12%, a reduction of over 1,500 technicians, attributing this decline to the shifting settlement requirements. Ultimately, the motion to maintain the five-year route to settlement for workers was passed unanimously by the TUC delegates
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