UK Raises ILR Wait To 15 Years For Lower-skilled Migrant Workers

Illegal migrants who use human rights claims to avoid deportation could now wait up to 30 years before becoming eligible for permanent residency under sweeping reforms unveiled by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

The new package proposes major changes to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), applied retrospectively to nearly two million migrants who have arrived since 2021.

According to a home office consultation, anyone who originally entered the UK illegally or as a visitor would face an extended route to settlement.

This includes small boat arrivals, visa overstayers and failed asylum seekers who win appeals on “right to family life” grounds. Their qualifying period could stretch to 30 years.

Currently, most migrants become eligible for ILR after five years, but the baseline will rise to ten. Lower skilled foreign workers, such as care assistants, would face a 15 year wait for ILR, doubling existing timelines.

This applies to roles requiring qualifications below a bachelor’s degree.

Additional penalties target migrants who claim benefits. Those receiving welfare for under a year would wait an extra five years; those supported for more than a year would face a 10 year penalty.

This means Lower skilled workers who arrived within the last five years and claimed benefits for 12 months or more could face a 25 year route to settlement.

For higher skilled workers, the standard qualifying period will be 10 years.

The proposals also require ILR applicants to maintain a clean criminal record, pay National insurance for at least three years, avoid debt to the government, such as unpaid visa or NHS fees, and demonstrate English language ability at A- level standard.