Pressure is building on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood over plans to extend the standard route to indefinite leave to remain from five years to 15 for some foreign workers. The proposal could apply retrospectively to people who arrived from 2021, while Downing Street has left open the possibility of changes before the final policy is set.
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh repeatedly declined to endorse the specific 15-year waiting period in a Wednesday interview. She backed a broader reform based on control, compassion, contribution and integration, and said she fully supported Mahmood’s work, but rejected the suggestion that she had taken a position on the precise proposal. Fahnbulleh had also appeared to warn in a since-removed constituency statement that extending the settlement wait could delay social cohesion.
The dispute follows earlier criticism from Angela Rayner and opposition from dozens of Labour MPs. Former immigration minister Mike Tapp said Mahmood should “read the room”, arguing that people who had moved to Britain and worked in care should not face a changed settlement timetable after expecting to qualify in five years. Mahmood has previously indicated that care workers could be exempted, although the Home Office has warned that such an exemption could encourage foreign workers to leave the sector.
The government’s earned-settlement consultation proposes a 10-year baseline, with a possible 15-year route for workers in roles below degree-level skill classification. It also considers shorter routes based on earnings, English-language ability, public-service work and community contribution. The consultation received more than 200,000 responses, and ministers say they are reviewing them before deciding which measures to implement. People who already hold settled status, including those covered by the EU Settlement Scheme and Windrush arrangements, are outside the proposed reforms.