WESolutions
Good news first: nurses, and care workers who arrived during the post-COVID recruitment drive, can still settle in the UK after 5 years under the new rules.
On 2 November 2026, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood set out an “earned settlement” model before Parliament. Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) will no longer follow almost automatically after 5 years. How long you wait will now depend on your contribution and conduct.
At WESolutions, we work every day with international nurses and care workers building careers in the UK. Below, we break down what has changed for you and your family, and what it means for students, graduates and refugees.
Key changes at a glance
The standard waits for settlement doubles from 5 to 10 years, with faster or slower routes depending on earnings, role and record.
| Qualifying period | Who it applies to |
| 3 years | Exceptional earners: £125,141+ in three of the last four years, or the future “Highest Talent Group” |
| 5 years | Earners above £50,271 (three of the last five years); eligible public service workers such as doctors, nurses and pharmacists; partners and parents of British citizens; qualifying pre-May 2025 care workers |
| 10 years | The new default for anyone playing by the rules and earning at least £12,571 in five of the last seven years |
| 20 years | People with an adult immigration breach (such as overstaying) or recent use of public funds |
Everyone, whatever their route, must also meet four non-negotiable conditions:
- No criminal record in the UK. This is far stricter than today’s 12-month suspended sentence threshold.
- English at B2 level (roughly A-Level standard), up from B1. This applies to settlement applications from 26 March 2027.
- No debt to the state, including NHS charges, unpaid tax or National Insurance.
- Sustained contribution, normally earnings of at least £12,571 a year, plus a pass in the Life in the UK test.
Anyone who already holds settled status keeps it. It will not be taken away.
Check your Eligibility
What it means for nurses
Nurses keep a 5-year route to settlement. The government has named nurses, alongside doctors, pharmacists and social workers, as public service workers who can settle after 5 years.
- Who qualifies: health and education roles that the Immigration Rules treat as paid on national pay scales. The full list sits in Annex C of the government’s consultation response.
- NHS and independent sector: Unions have warned that public-service exemptions may not reach staff at independent health and care providers, so private-sector nurses should watch the final rules closely.
- The earnings route: a nurse earning more than £50,271 in three of the last five years also qualifies for 5 years, whoever their employer.
- Below degree level: healthcare roles below RQF level 6 on national pay scales, such as nursing auxiliaries, keep a 5-year route only if they arrived before May 2025. Later arrivals move to 10 years.
What to do now: check your English is at B2, keep your NMC registration and visa conditions spotless, and make sure you have no outstanding NHS or tax debt
Click Here to Apply
What it means for care workers
Care workers who joined the route before 12 May 2025 and earn at least £25,000 a year keep their 5-year path to settlement. This reverses an earlier proposal that could have meant waits of up to 15 years.
The Home Secretary framed this as recognition for care workers who answered Britain’s call during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed 15-year route for all roles below RQF level 6 has been dropped.
| Your situation | Your route |
| Entered or switched into the care worker route before 12 May 2025, earning £25,000+, meeting sponsorship and visa conditions | 5 years |
| Arrived before 12 May 2025 but don’t meet those conditions after 5 years (around a quarter of this group) | A new 5-year Health and Care visa for genuine sector work, then settlement |
Protection from rogue sponsors: the government says 1,800 exploitative employers have lost their sponsor licences. From 1 February 2027, a care worker whose sponsor loses its licence will get up to 120 days to find a new job offer, plus a further 60 days to sort out their visa.
What to do now: keep payslips that show your £25,000+ salary, stay with a licensed, compliant sponsor, and never work outside your visa conditions. A breach could move you to a 20-year route.
Family members and dependants
Families can still settle together, a change from the original proposal that partners and adult children would each have to earn settlement on their own.
- Partners who arrive with you can settle at the same time as you, provided they meet the requirements.
- Partners who join later must complete the same qualifying period as the main applicant.
- Combined household income: couples can pool earnings to reach £25,142. A partner working part-time or caring for children does not need to earn £12,571 personally.
- Children under 18 settle with their parents and are exempt from the income, debt, English and Life in the UK requirements.
- Young adults aged 18 to 24 who keep child-dependant status can settle with the family without the income test, but must meet the other adult requirements, including B2 English.
- Dependants aged 25 or over when the family becomes eligible must qualify on their own or switch to their own visa.
Partners and parents of British citizens keep their existing 5-year family route.
Click here to apply for ILR
Students and graduates
Time on a Student or Graduate visa will no longer count towards settlement. Your settlement clock only starts once you move onto a route designed to lead to settlement, such as a Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker visa.
- Long Residence route closing: today, 10 years’ continuous lawful residence on almost any visa can lead to settlement, including student time. That route will close. No closure date has been given yet.
- Other temporary routes that won’t count include High Potential Individual, Youth Mobility and Temporary Worker visas.
- For nursing students and graduates: switching into a qualifying NHS nursing role after graduating could put you on the 5-year public service route from the point you switch.
What to do now: if you are studying or on a Graduate visa, plan your move into a sponsored role early. Every month on a qualifying route now counts.
Refugees
How a refugee arrived now decides how long they wait, and working or studying shortens the wait.
| How you arrived | Route to settlement |
| Home Office-approved safe and legal route | 5 years |
| Other arrivals, working or studying | 10 years |
| Other arrivals, not working or studying | 20 years |
| Small boat or other clandestine entry | An extra 10 years on top, so up to 30 years |
For refugees with healthcare or care experience, work is now the fastest way to shorten the journey.
When the changes take effect
Nothing changes today: current rules still apply to applications until new Immigration Rules are laid and come into force.
- 2 November 2026: the policy and government response were set out before Parliament.
- December 2026: the first changes begin to be laid in the Immigration Rules.
- 1 February 2027: new 120 + 60-day protection for care workers whose sponsor loses its licence.
- 26 March 2027: B2 English required for settlement applications.
- Through 2027: the wider earned settlement rules are phased in.
Key details are still to come, including the full list of eligible public service roles, how earnings will be assessed and the Long Residence closure date.
Apply for ILR
How WESolutions can help
These reforms reward those who contribute, and nurses and care workers remain among the people the UK most wants to keep. At WESolutions, we help international healthcare professionals find roles with compliant, licensed sponsors that support a clear path to settlement.
Whether you are a nurse planning your next move, a care worker checking your 5-year eligibility, or a graduate ready to start a healthcare career, our team is here to guide you.
Get in touch with WESolutions today to discuss your options.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Immigration rules may change as details are confirmed. Please seek advice from a regulated immigration adviser about your own circumstances.
Click here to Apply Now
Sources
- Home Secretary unveils new rules for migrants settling in the UK, GOV.UK, 2 November 2026
- BBC News coverage, 2 November 2026
