Shabana Mahmood Immigration Proposals 2026: Major UK ILR Changes Revealed.Shabana Mahmood has softened down parts of last year’s immigration policies following a reaction from angry backbench Labour MPs and some of her cabinet colleagues.
But the bundle of reforms revealed on Thursday represents a drastic strengthening of the restrictions for individuals wanting to stay permanently in the UK. People on low earnings will have to wait longer to get indefinite permission to remain (ILR) in the UK, while people on high wages will find it simpler.
What Was the Government Planning to Do Before Monday?
The home secretary in Keir Starmer’s government had been entrusted with reducing net migration and had worked up plans to make it harder for migrants to qualify to stay in the UK indefinitely.
She suggested that many poorly paid workers, particularly care workers, should be made to wait 15 years before they could apply to live permanently in the UK, despite having anticipated to wait five years when they arrived to the UK. The new normal will mean a delay of 10 years for most workers.
What Was Different About These Proposals on Monday?
Mahmood scraps idea for lower paid staff to wait 15 years She went further and indicated that if care workers earn at least £25,000 and arrived in the UK before May 2025 they will be eligible for ILR after five years.
What Will Happen to the Amount of Workers Who Will Have Their Settlement Delayed in the UK?
The proposals as they were originally drafted would have delayed the settling of 799,000 individuals. The new version cuts the total to 517,000.
Why Has She Settled for Her Plans?
Mahmood was under pressure from cabinet colleagues and Labour backbenchers threatened to defect.
Housing secretary Angela Rayner condemned Mahmood’s ideas as retrospective and “un-British”. She and others had also lamented the impact on social care staff who, under the prior plans, would have waited 15 years for settlement.
Are Other Regulation Changes Requested Retroactive?
Yes. Compromises were worked up to ensure care workers arriving before May 2025 will not face a longer route to settlement but other professions were not covered, analysts added.
Thousands of workers would still be shocked to have to wait 10 years before they could seek to live in the UK, albeit the rules specified they faced a five-year wait on arrival, said Marley Morris, associate director for migration at the Institute for Public Policy Research.
“It is not fair that workers who arrived in the UK before these rules were lifted in May 2025 are not protected. “The government could very well be accused of moving the goal posts,” he remarked. The ideas mean workers such as engineers, cooks and architects who may not match the high income standards will nonetheless be on a 10 year path to settlement.
Who Else Can Apply for ILR If They Have Just Lived Here for Five Years?
Those who earn more than £50,000 a year, have paid into the health and education systems and refugees who have arrived in the UK via safe and legal methods can apply.
After three years it will also apply to people earning more than £125,141 a year and “highly skilled” migrants, such as those on global talent or innovator founder visas.
What Other ‘Public Service’ Professions Will Still Qualify for Settlement After Five Years If You Earn Less Than £50,000?
The Home Office has produced a list of “public service” jobs that foreign workers will still be allowed to apply for ILR after five years. These include psychotherapists, physiotherapists, children’s nurses, dentistry practitioners and midwifery nurses.
Will Refugees Face Longer Waiting Periods for ILR?
Mahmood did water down ideas to extend the period of time that refugees may have to wait before they can apply for ILR.
No. Refugees will face exceptionally strict settlement standards under new laws. Those entering on small boats and those dependent on public assistance will have to wait at least 30 years for permanent settlement.
There will be an exemption for the tiny number of refugees who come through specified safe and legal methods such as the re-opening of the scheme for Afghan women and girls and Palestinians.
How Have Lawmakers Responded to the Proposals?
Labour MP Diane Abbott told parliament they risked repeating the Windrush crisis, in which British citizens were arrested, deported or threatened with deportation despite having a right to be in the UK.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp called the announcement a U-turn.