Many Nepali migrants in the UK are distressed after the government announced major reforms to its immigration system, including extending the required duration for Permanent Residency (PR) from 5 years to 10 years.
Abhishek Basnet, who completed his MSc in International Business Management on September 18 and is currently working full-time on a Post-Study Work (PSW) visa, also feels his hope of settling in the UK has faded. “Managing five years was still possible, but ten years is impossible. I think the only option is to return home,” he said.
After the UK announced the biggest immigration reform in nearly 50 years, similar concerns have spread widely among migrant communities, including thousands of Nepalis who will be affected.
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood informed Parliament on Thursday that the government plans to extend the period required to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) from 5 years to 10 years.
According to the BBC, this rule will also apply to an estimated 2.6 million migrants who have been in the UK since 2021.
The government has also proposed that migrants staying illegally or relying on state benefits may have to wait 20 to 30 years to obtain PR—considered the toughest rule in Europe.
The government says the new reform will make the UK’s residency system the most controlled and selective in Europe.
Announcing the changes in the House of Commons, the Home Secretary said, “Migration will always be an important part of the UK. But the scale of arrivals in recent years has been unprecedented.”
Under the proposal, even legal migrants may need to wait up to 20 years for permanent settlement. Those who entered illegally or overstayed their visas may have to wait up to 30 years.
Low-income workers, including the 616,000 people who arrived between 2022 and 2024 on Health and Social Care visas along with their dependents, will need to wait 15 years for PR. The UK had already closed this route earlier this year due to widespread misuse.
However, high taxpayers, global talents, and public service professionals may qualify for shorter PR timelines.
The Home Secretary said that earlier estimates suggested 1.6 million people would gain settlement rights between 2026 and 2030, but that projection will now change.
These changes will not apply to those who already have ILR or those who arrived before 2021. This reform is an extension of the immigration overhaul announced by the Home Secretary last week.
The changes are expected to come into effect from spring 2026, after the consultation ends on February 12.
Currently, ILR allows individuals to live permanently in the UK, work without restrictions, and access public services. It is also a major step toward obtaining British citizenship.
Under the new proposal, immigrants will only become eligible for benefits and housing assistance after becoming British citizens—a shift from the current rule where even PR holders can claim benefits.
Stricter Eligibility Requirements and Growing Concerns
Deepak Bhattarai, solicitor and president of the Britain Nepal Lawyers Association, said the standard period for obtaining ILR will be 10 years under the proposed changes.
Legal migrants who claim benefits for less than 12 months will need to wait 15 years, while those who have claimed benefits for more than 12 months will face a 20-year wait—four times longer than the current duration and the longest in Europe.
Workers on Health and Social Care visas who arrived after Brexit will also face a 15-year wait instead of the current five years.
“The new ‘contribution-based model’ introduces mandatory conditions such as a clean criminal record, three years of National Insurance (NI) contributions, and A-level standard English proficiency,” Bhattarai explained.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) warned that around 50,000 nursing staff may leave the UK because of the new visa rules. It urged the government to scrap the plan to double the ILR duration, saying it will worsen staff shortages and put patient care at greater risk.
