The UK government has announced a major policy reversal, allowing Kenyan health and social care workers who earn at least £25,000 a year and have honoured their visa obligations to qualify for permanent settlement after five years. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed the changes to the UK's settlement rules, affecting foreign care workers, including Kenyans. The new rules will apply to care workers who arrived in the UK before May 2025 and met their visa conditions.
The policy shift came after the government faced a fierce internal backlash over earlier proposals that would have extended waiting periods dramatically. Care workers who did not fully meet their visa conditions, estimated at roughly a quarter of those who entered the care route between 2022 and 2025, will be offered a fresh five-year care visa that is not tied to a previous employer. Mahmood described this as a "second chance to contribute" for workers who often fell short due to exploitative sponsors rather than personal fault.
The government said it has already revoked the sponsorship rights of 1,800 employers found to be exploitative. Mahmood said those workers "lived up to the promise that they made on coming to this country — worked hard and answered our call when we needed them." The new rules aim to help workers escape exploitation without losing their immigration status. One worker paid £20,000 for a promised care job, then faced visa threats while earning as little as £200 a month.
Workers who entered the care route after May 2025 will face a standard 10-year wait before they can apply for settlement under the new "earned settlement" framework. The care worker concession sits within a tiered settlement model that applies across all migrant categories. The highest earners, those on incomes above £125,000 or accepted onto top talent programmes, can settle after three years.
Workers earning more than £50,271, alongside doctors, nurses, and teachers, qualify for the five-year route. All other migrants face the new default of 10 years. Refugees using approved safe and legal routes can settle after five years, while those who entered the UK via small boats or clandestine means face waits of between 20 and 30 years.
All applicants must satisfy four conditions: a clean criminal record, English proficiency equivalent to A-Level, no outstanding debt to the government, and a consistent record of National Insurance contributions. The policy is already facing legal scrutiny, with the Skill Migrants Alliance preparing to challenge the reforms, arguing that applying new rules to people already living in the UK breaches the legitimate expectation they had when they first arrived.
A House of Lords committee has similarly warned that retrospective application of the changes would be "manifestly unfair" and potentially unlawful. Kenya has been among the largest sources of health and social care labour for the UK in recent years, with many workers recruited during the post-pandemic shortage period. The social care sector contributes £77.8 billion annually to England's economy.
Key points
- Kenyan care workers must earn at least £25,000 to qualify for a 5-year settlement in the UK.
- The UK's new immigration rules offer a second chance to care workers who did not meet their visa conditions.
- The policy change affects care workers who arrived in the UK before May 2025 and met their visa conditions.
