A parliamentary motion seeking to protect the five-year settlement pathway for Skilled Worker visa holders has attracted 79 signatures, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reconsider the government’s plans.
The proposals would double the standard qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) from five to ten years and could apply to migrant workers already living in Britain.
Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan, who tabled the motion, described changing the rules halfway through someone’s stay as “un-British”.
He warned that the proposals could create a “Windrush-style scandal” and damage public services that depend on overseas workers.
He argued that people who came to Britain to work and contribute should not have the settlement terms they built their lives around changed midway.
Under Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s proposed “earned settlement” system, some care workers could face a 15-year wait, while certain higher earners and qualifying public service workers could access shorter routes.
Critics are calling for existing visa holders to be protected, warning that longer waits could leave families facing years of uncertainty.
The Home Office says the reforms would recognise people’s contribution to the UK. It has confirmed that the consultation has closed and that its response will be published in due course.
