Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has waded into the immigration debate, condemning proposals that would force overseas care workers to wait up to 10–15 years before qualifying for indefinite leave to remain. Speaking to the BBC on 12 June, Rayner said it was “un-British” to impose retrospective rules on people “who have already built a life here” and warned the plan would exacerbate chronic staffing shortages in social care. Rayner’s intervention comes as the Labour-led government prepares secondary legislation to double the minimum settlement period for most Skilled Worker migrants from five to ten years, with an optional 15-year route for those earning below the general threshold. Ministers argue the change will help reduce net migration and ensure settlement is “earned”, but the care sector — which has 131,000 vacancies — relies heavily on international recruitment. More than 58,000 Health & Care Worker visas were issued in the year to March 2024.
![Angela Rayner brands extended settlement wait for migrant care staff “un-British”]()
For organisations and individual applicants trying to navigate these shifting requirements, VisaHQ’s UK platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) offers up-to-date guidance, application tools and expert support for everything from Skilled Worker extensions to Health & Care Worker visas, helping employers stay compliant and workers keep their immigration plans on track.
Union leaders and care-home operators fear the longer path to permanence will deter applicants and heighten the risk of exploitation, because visas remain tied to a single employer for the first four years. Rayner called for a sector-wide sponsorship model that would allow workers to switch jobs without jeopardising their status. Although the government insists no final decisions have been taken, officials confirm that guidance for sponsors is being drafted for publication “this summer”. Businesses should therefore anticipate changes to right-to-work checks, staff retention strategies and relocation budgets. For global-mobility managers, the political row is a reminder that UK immigration policy is becoming less predictable. Companies dependent on the care-worker route should plan around a possible decade-long settlement horizon and consider additional retention incentives to remain competitive.
For organisations and individual applicants trying to navigate these shifting requirements, VisaHQ’s UK platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) offers up-to-date guidance, application tools and expert support for everything from Skilled Worker extensions to Health & Care Worker visas, helping employers stay compliant and workers keep their immigration plans on track.
Union leaders and care-home operators fear the longer path to permanence will deter applicants and heighten the risk of exploitation, because visas remain tied to a single employer for the first four years. Rayner called for a sector-wide sponsorship model that would allow workers to switch jobs without jeopardising their status. Although the government insists no final decisions have been taken, officials confirm that guidance for sponsors is being drafted for publication “this summer”. Businesses should therefore anticipate changes to right-to-work checks, staff retention strategies and relocation budgets. For global-mobility managers, the political row is a reminder that UK immigration policy is becoming less predictable. Companies dependent on the care-worker route should plan around a possible decade-long settlement horizon and consider additional retention incentives to remain competitive.
