Mahmood to announce revised settlement rules, likely exempting care workers from 15-year wait
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to announce final changes to indefinite leave to remain (ILR) rules on Monday. While initial proposals extended the wait for permanent settlement from five to 10 years, with a 15-year wait for lower-paid workers, the BBC reports the government is likely to revise these terms for social care staff. This move follows intense internal Labour party conflict, with Housing Secretary Angela Rayner criticizing the retrospective application of rules to migrants already in the UK. The decision comes amid data showing net migration added 2.6 million people to the UK population between 2021 and 2024, and forecasts that 1.6 million people could settle between 2026 and 2030.