The UK government on Thursday (November 20) announced a new immigration policy that provides a fast-track residency pathway for high-income groups. According to the changes announced by Home Secretary Mahmood, visa holders with an annual income exceeding £125,000 (approximately $163,000) will be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after three years.
This new regulation significantly shortens the current five-year standard waiting period and is faster than the proposed ten-year threshold for visa holders to apply for ILR.
According to Bloomberg, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is attempting to impose broader restrictions on immigration while avoiding scaring away technical workers from London’s financial district and other areas. This move is also aimed at easing concerns about the surge in immigration and countering efforts by Nigel Farage and his populist “Reform UK” party.
This pathway to expedite residency (and ultimately obtain British citizenship) will be open to entrepreneurs holding Global Talent and Innovator Founder visas.
For general technical workers earning between £50,000 and £125,000 annually, they will have to wait for five years, aligning with the current regulations.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated in the House of Commons, “Settling permanently in this country is not a right but a privilege. It must be earned.”
All applicants for Indefinite Leave to Remain must meet the following higher thresholds:
– No criminal record;
– Paid payroll tax contributions for the past three years;
– No outstanding national debts (such as debts to the Home Office or the NHS);
– Proof of English language proficiency.
The Home Office also plans to introduce penalty clauses that will be added on top of the standard waiting period individuals must endure:
Welfare Dependency:
Those receiving welfare for less than 12 months will face a five-year waiting penalty; those receiving welfare for over 12 months will face a ten-year waiting penalty. Mahmood also proposed that only British citizens can claim most welfare benefits and social housing.
Illegal Entry:
Anyone entering through illegal means (such as small boats) will face an additional 20-year penalty on top of their ten-year standard waiting period.
The new system will apply to all individuals who have not yet obtained Indefinite Leave to Remain. According to estimates from the Home Office, by 2030, around 1.3 million to 2.2 million people will be eligible for this status, allowing them to work in the UK indefinitely.
Many of these individuals entered the UK through the Health and Care Visa route. The government believes that allowing such a high number of people to immigrate should not be permitted, hence these low-skilled care workers will now have a 15-year threshold for applying for ILR instead of the previous 10 years.
For anyone with English proficiency higher than A-level standard, their ten-year waiting period will be reduced to nine years.
High-level public service personnel such as doctors, nurses, and some education workers will continue to have a five-year application plan.
The new system does not apply to Hong Kong residents escaping persecution through the British National (Overseas) route or family members of British citizens. Individuals eligible under the Windrush Scheme or EU Settlement Scheme will be considered separately.