What Do UK's New Rules Mean for You?

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has unveiled a radical "earned settlement" policy at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, fundamentally reshaping the path to permanent residency in the UK. The new approach makes Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) contingent not just on holding a job, but on demonstrable social contribution, introducing a controversial requirement for mandatory community volunteering.

Signaling a "tough but fair" stance to voters—and drawing a sharp contrast with Reform UK's call to abolish ILR entirely—the government is making the path to permanent residency far more difficult. Migrants will now have to meet four strict conditions: maintaining employment and paying National Insurance; possessing a spotless criminal record; demonstrating a high standard of English proficiency; and undertaking active community volunteering. This new "Social Contribution" mandate moves beyond a simple knowledge test, linking immigration status to unpaid labour, a condition already attracting criticism as potentially exploitative.

Crucially, these new qualitative hurdles are layered upon a major increase in waiting times. The Home Office is now consulting on doubling the standard qualifying period for permanent settlement from the current five years to a baseline of ten years for most visa routes. The only stated exceptions will be a five-year path for dependants of British citizens and a potential fast-track for those making high-value economic contributions.

This doubling of the waiting time carries significant financial and economic consequences. Migrants will be forced to pay multiple, expensive visa renewal fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)—currently over £1,000 per year—for an additional five years, essentially "paying twice" for a decade of NHS access despite their tax contributions. Furthermore, this ten-year wait for certainty makes the UK less attractive than many rival high-income countries in the global race for talent, threatening to deter the highly mobile professionals needed in sectors like technology and finance.

While the government aims to restore public control over immigration, particularly as the first post-Brexit wave of migrants nears ILR eligibility in 2026, the policy’s overall direction suggests a tightening of rules across the board. Further changes are likely to be considered, including proceeding with a reduction of the Graduate visa length to 18 months, and potential pressure to raise the already increased Skilled Worker visa salary floor, which for some roles jumped significantly from £26,200 to £38,700 earlier this year. The newly implemented ban on overseas recruitment for social care workers also presents an immediate challenge for the sector, demanding urgent domestic training and pay increases to prevent a labour shortage.