UK may double legal migrants' settlement wait to 10 years
Big changes are coming to UK immigration rules.
Starting soon, legal migrants might have to wait 10 years (double the current time) before they can settle permanently.
For occupations below graduate level, including care work, the wait could stretch up to 15 years.
There's talk of a points system that could help those who earn more or contribute a lot get settled faster.
Health and care workers fear shortages
Many people are worried about these changes, especially for health and social care workers who already keep essential services running.
Politicians and industry groups say this could make staff shortages even worse, with one letter warning it might cause injustices like the Windrush scandal.
About 200,000 health and care visas have been given out in the last five years, so making it harder to stay long-term could really affect both workers and the services everyone relies on.