A Decade to Belong: Why the New ILR Rules Are a National Disgrace
The Government’s newly announced plans to overhaul Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) have sparked outrage across industries, migrant communities and legal professionals — and rightly so. These proposals are not simply adjustments to the immigration system. They represent a radical reengineering of settlement, designed to push long-term contributors into extended insecurity while chasing cheap political headlines.
At a time when the UK desperately needs stability, skills and economic growth, the Government has chosen instead to create uncertainty, impose impossible timelines, and treat lawful migrants like disposable labour.
Settlement, also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), allows a person to live in the UK permanently, work without restriction, access public services, and move towards British citizenship. Currently, most work and family visa holders can apply for ILR after five years.
Under the proposed reforms, the UK will move from one of the fairest and most functional ILR models in Europe to one of the harshest and most convoluted. The standard wait will now be 10 years, with new criteria that may lengthen or shorten the period.
Legal migrants who claim benefits for less than 12 months will wait 15 years. Those reliant on benefits for more than 12 months will face a 20-year wait — the longest in Europe. People who arrived on post-Brexit health and social care visas will also have to wait 15 years, up from five.
A new income-based fast track is proposed: migrants earning £125,140 for three years may settle after three years; those earning £50,270 may settle in five. Volunteering and English competency may also reduce the wait.
Ministers plan an “earned settlement” system requiring migrants to demonstrate social integration, economic contribution, good character, A-level English, a clean criminal record and earnings above £12,570 for at least three years. Meanwhile, accelerated routes will remain for NHS staff, high earners, and entrepreneurs.
Family members will no longer gain automatic status; only children under 18 may settle with parents. Victims of domestic abuse, bereaved partners and resettled refugees will keep existing fast-track protections.
Political reaction has been deeply divided. Conservatives accuse Labour of copying previously opposed policies. Reform UK has proposed abolishing ILR entirely, replacing it with renewable visas every five years — even for those who already hold ILR.
Home Office data shows net migration added 2.6 million people between 2021 and 2024. Settlement grants are expected to spike, with 1.6 million people forecast to settle between 2026 and 2030.
Unions warn the changes will devastate essential sectors. UNISON argues that forcing key workers — especially in care — to wait 15 years betrays those who stepped up during Covid and risks collapsing critical services.
These proposals destabilise employers, punish contributors, and promote a dangerous narrative that only high earners ‘deserve’ permanence. They leave families in prolonged limbo and undermine the UK’s competitiveness on the global stage.
The ILR system needs reform, but not like this. It requires clarity, fairness, and stability — not confusion, cruelty and chaos.
