The UK government on Thursday revealed a major overhaul of its legal migration framework, announcing plans to double the waiting period for most foreign workers seeking settled status from five to ten years. The Labour government clarified that essential healthcare professionals such as doctors and nurses will remain exempt from the extended timeline, while certain categories of migrants — particularly those who arrived illegally — could face waits of up to 30 years.
The announcement comes amid an intensifying national debate on immigration, a subject that has influenced British politics for over a decade. In recent years, successive administrations have introduced stricter visa conditions, raised salary thresholds, and pursued measures to curb overall migration in response to public concerns over pressure on housing, welfare, and public services.
A Transformational Policy Shift
Describing the move as the “biggest shake-up of the legal migration system in nearly half a century,” the Labour government faces political pressure as it trails behind the anti-immigration Reform UK party in recent opinion polls.
Under the new proposal:
High earners and entrepreneurs will be able to obtain settled status within three years.
NHS doctors and nurses will still qualify after five years, protecting a healthcare workforce in which over two-thirds of doctors and nearly half of nurses are internationally trained.
Migrants dependent on state benefits would encounter a 20-year qualifying period — a threshold the government says would be the longest in Europe.
Unions have warned of potential negative impacts. The main nursing union cautioned that the extended waiting period could drive as many as 50,000 migrant nurses out of the UK.
Strict Measures for Illegal Migration
The harshest restrictions will apply to individuals the government says are “exploiting the system.” Those arriving illegally or overstaying visas may need to wait up to 30 years before becoming eligible for settled status.
Officials argue that without these reforms, around 1.6 million people would have qualified for settlement between 2026 and 2030. The announcement follows the previous week’s asylum overhaul, which included shifting refugee status to a temporary basis and accelerating deportations for illegal arrivals.
Recent Random Post:
