Last Updated on November 3, 2026

Migrant care workers already in the UK will remain eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after five years under announced reforms. The change comes as ministers press ahead with wider plans to overhaul the UK's settlement system, including extending the standard route to permanent residency from five years to 10 years for many migrant workers.

However, care workers who entered the relevant immigration pathway before May 2025 will be protected from the longer waiting period and allowed to retain the existing five-year route to settlement, provided they meet salary, employment and immigration requirements.

Under Government's proposed 'earned settlement' framework, migrants will face different qualifying periods before becoming eligible for ILR, depending on factors such as earnings, contribution to society and compliance with immigration rules. While some high-skilled workers could qualify more quickly, the standard route for most migrants is set to increase to 10 years.

The reforms will also introduce tougher eligibility requirements, including higher English language standards, checks on criminal records and consideration of applicants' economic contribution and financial conduct.

Commenting on the announcement, Karolina Gerlich, Chief Executive at The Care Workers' Charity, said, 'This is a good outcome for care workers, and we welcome it. People who came here and kept our care services running deserve the security to build their lives here, and [...] Government has recognised that.

'It should not have taken this long, and many care workers have spent months not knowing whether they could stay. We will continue to work with the Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care to make sure the detail delivers what has been promised, and we invite ministers to hear directly from care workers through our Advisory Board and Champions Project as these changes are put into practice.'

Melanie Weatherley MBE, Co-Chair of the Care Association Alliance, said, 'We welcome the recognition of the contribution which international recruits have made to the care sector. We also welcome the certainty provided for some by the announcement, as many international care workers have been increasingly anxious.

'We feel for the people who have not been able to work in the sector for the whole of their time here. Some details relating to those who were displaced but have since gained employment are not entirely clear, and no doubt the devil will be in the detail. Matching displaced workers to new employers is a programme that many care associations have been part of, and it is not new. Nor is it always easy to place people, due in part to the costs and licence requirements involved in employing sponsored workers. We look forward to supporting international recruits who need to find new roles in the care sector.

'We appreciate that the right to live indefinitely in the UK is a privilege which should be earned. We would argue that those who left their families to provide care for ours have earned it, and we welcome the Home Secretary's at least partial recognition of this.

'Settlement gives people the right to work wherever they choose, and the sector will need to work to retain them, as we do with our domestic workforce. That means offering a career with real opportunities to develop and to increase pay. A care worker with five years' experience earns 12p an hour more than someone with under a year in the job, down from 33p in 2016. The international route closed to new applicants in July 2025 and our paper does not ask for it to reopen. The sector has to keep the people it has and grow its own, with a fair pay agreement that rewards skills, responsibility and experience.'

Laura Chinyere-Ezeh, Senior HR Consultant in health and social care at Browne Jacobson, said, 'These reforms will be hugely welcomed by a sector that is grappling with worker shortages, including in management and leadership positions.

'Not only does a five-year path to settlement make the care sector more appealing to people who have legally migrated, but it also helps to retain existing talent and dedicated staff by recognising their contributions.

'Many care workers who have legally migrated have until now been unable to take further steps in their career because they are limited to pursuing promotions and progression opportunities due to the restriction of occupational codes under sponsorship rules.

'This glass ceiling is now removed within a shorter time period once they achieve indefinite leave to remain status, offering career pathways towards deputy manager, registered manager and leadership.

'At a time when we're already facing challenges presented by an ageing population and escalating costs of care, it's essential we have a robust workforce ready to support those in need of all types of care. These changes go some way to easing those issues.'

For more information on the reforms, visit GOV.UK.

In other news, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published its latest annual State of Care report, revealing a social care market in flux.