UK offers 5 year permanent residency for foreign care workers
Big update from the UK foreign social and home care workers who arrived before May 2025 can now apply for permanent residency after just five years (down from the old 15-year wait).
This especially helps Indian workers on the Health and Care Worker visa, which began in October 2020 and ran until July 2025.
Eligibility: £25,000 salary pre-May 2025 arrival
To qualify, you'll need to earn at least £25,000 a year and arrived in the UK before May 2025.
Shabana Mahmood mentioned there are some exceptions if you don't meet all the visa requirements.
The change comes after more than 202,000 responses were received during a public consultation, plus pressure from the left flank of the Labour Party and health unions.
While supporters say this will help fix staff shortages in social care, some critics are worried about costs and government disagreements over immigration policy.