In November 2025 the government proposed a 15-year wait for lower-qualified Health and Care visa workers, which includes care workers. On 2 November 2026 the Home Secretary dropped it. Care workers who entered or switched into the route before the Immigration White Paper was published on 12 May 2025, and meet the conditions, keep a 5-year route. This is an announcement, not yet law, so current rules still apply.
Key points
- 15 years dropped: workers in roles below degree level, including care workers, will not face the 15-year wait proposed in 2025 (government response).
- 5 years if you qualify: you must have entered or switched into the route before the Immigration White Paper was published on 12 May 2025, and meet the £25,000 salary, sponsorship and employment requirements (government response).
- If you do not qualify: you can apply for a further 5-year Health and Care visa, but it is not automatic: you need genuine sponsored work in the sector and must meet the requirements (government response).
- Arrived after 12 May 2025: the standard 10-year route (government response).
- Not in force yet: Parliament says rules begin to be laid from December and roll out over 2027; individual dates are not confirmed (Commons Hansard; Lords Hansard).
Is settlement for care workers now 5 years instead of 15?
For many care workers already in the UK, yes, but it depends on when you arrived and whether you met your visa conditions. The government response says care workers who entered, or switched into, the route before publication of the Immigration White Paper in May 2025 keep the existing 5-year qualifying period where they meet the applicable salary (£25,000 a year), sponsorship and employment requirements (government response).
The Home Secretary told the Commons that care workers who earned £25,000 a year in social care, which was the condition of their visa, “will therefore be able to settle on their existing 5-year path” (Home Secretary’s statement).
Was a 15-year wait for care workers ever the rule?
No, it was a proposal. On 20 November 2025 the Home Secretary proposed that lower-qualified workers who came on the Health and Care visa wait 15 years (November 2025 statement). The consultation document proposed 15 years for sponsored roles below RQF level 6 (consultation document). After more than 200,000 responses, the government response says workers in these occupations will no longer face the 15-year pathway (government response).
What conditions apply to the 5-year route?
- You entered, or switched into, the Health and Care route before the white paper was published on 12 May 2025 (government response; white paper).
- You meet the £25,000 salary, sponsorship and employment requirements (government response).
- You meet the minimum requirements for everyone, including criminality and English language, unless an exemption applies (government response). The Commons statement lists a criminal record, English to a high standard, unpaid debt and 3 years of National Insurance contributions (Home Secretary’s statement).
What if I do not meet the conditions after 5 years?
You will not qualify just because 5 years have passed. You can apply for a further 5-year Health and Care visa, restricted to genuine work in the sector, with no recourse to public funds (government response). This is not automatic: you would need genuine sponsored work in the sector and have to meet the relevant requirements. The Home Secretary said you will not be tied to your old employer, and that this second group is around a quarter of those who came between 2022 and 2025 (Home Secretary’s statement).
What if I arrived or switched into care work after 12 May 2025?
The transitional arrangements do not apply. You follow the standard 10-year pathway if you meet the requirements (government response).
What if my sponsor loses its licence?
The government plans to introduce this protection from 1 February 2027, so it is not in force yet. Once it is, care workers who lose their job because the sponsor licence is removed will get up to 120 days to find a secure job offer, then 60 more to resolve their status. Otherwise the visa will be curtailed (government response). See our Skilled Worker and Health and Care guide.
Official examples
The government response gives two (government response):
- Entered in 2023, meets the requirements: keeps the 5-year path.
- Entered in 2023, does not meet them: does not qualify just by completing 5 years, and is supported to move into genuine sponsored work.
When will this start?
Parliament has given a rough timetable. In the Commons on 2 November 2026, the Home Secretary said the changes “will begin to be laid from the December immigration rules” and “will be implemented over the course of 2027” (Commons Hansard). In the Lords the same day, the government said the first stage of the Immigration Rules changes “will begin in December and take effect in January 2027”, with further changes in 2027 and 2028 (Lords Hansard). Technical detail and an impact assessment are due before implementation.
This does not mean every care worker change starts in January. The dates for individual measures, including the care worker arrangements, have not been confirmed. Until the rules take effect, the current rules still apply.
What to do now
- Check when you entered or switched onto the Health and Care route against 12 May 2025.
- Keep payslips, contracts and your certificate of sponsorship.
- Check your pay is at least £25,000 a year and your sponsor is still licensed.
- Check the minimum requirements that apply to everyone, including criminality and English language, and whether an exemption applies to you.
- Do not pay anyone, or apply early, on social media rumours. Check GOV.UK.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the 15-year proposal was ever law.
- Assuming 5 years applies if you arrived after 12 May 2025.
- Assuming the announcement is in force today.
How does this fit the wider earned settlement plan?
The starting point for settlement moves from 5 to 10 years. The fastest route is 3 years, and at least 20 years applies to some people who breach immigration rules (GOV.UK news story). Doctors, nurses and teachers keep 5 years, and so do healthcare and education workers on national pay scales who came before May 2025 (government response; Home Secretary’s statement). Until the rules change, GOV.UK says you can still apply after 5 years on the Health and Care Worker visa if you meet the other requirements (Health and Care Worker visa).
Key dates
| Date | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 20 November 2025 | 15-year wait proposed (GOV.UK) | Past; not adopted |
| 2 November 2026 | 5-year care worker route announced (GOV.UK news story) | Announced |
| December 2026 | Changes begin to be laid; first stage begins (Commons Hansard; Lords Hansard) | Stated in Parliament |
| January 2027 | First stage takes effect (Lords Hansard) | Stated in Parliament |
| 1 February 2027 | 120/60 days after sponsor licence removal (government response) | Planned; not in force yet |
Frequently asked questions
Is the 15-year wait for care workers cancelled?
The government response says workers in roles below degree level will no longer face the 15-year wait proposed in 2025. It is not yet in the Immigration Rules.
Can care workers settle after 5 years?
Those who entered or switched into the route before the Immigration White Paper was published on 12 May 2025 can, if they meet the £25,000 salary, sponsorship and employment requirements and the general minimum requirements.
What if I do not qualify after 5 years?
You can apply for a further 5-year Health and Care visa, restricted to genuine work in the sector, then apply again. It is not automatic: you need genuine sponsored work and must meet the relevant requirements.
What if I became a care worker after 12 May 2025?
The standard 10-year pathway applies, if you meet the requirements.
Will my partner and children wait longer?
A partner arriving with you can settle at the same time, and children under 18 can settle with their parents, if the requirements are met.
When does the new rule start?
Parliament has said changes begin to be laid from the December Immigration Rules and are implemented over 2027, with the first stage taking effect in January 2027. Dates for individual measures, including care worker arrangements, are not confirmed.
Related Visa Tide guides
- Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker visas
- UK visa fees and the healthcare surcharge
- UK immigration rule changes: October 2026
This is general information, not immigration advice. Check GOV.UK or speak to an IAA-regulated adviser for your situation.
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Sources
- Earned settlement (Home Secretary statement), 2 November 2026 – GOV.UK
- Home Secretary unveils new rules for migrants settling in the UK – GOV.UK, 2 November 2026
- Earned settlement: government response and next steps – GOV.UK, updated 2 November 2026
- A fairer pathway to settlement (statement) – GOV.UK, 20 November 2025
- A fairer pathway to settlement: consultation document – GOV.UK, November 2025
- Immigration white paper – GOV.UK, May 2025
- Health and Care Worker visa – GOV.UK
- Explanatory memorandum to HC 1691 – GOV.UK
- Hansard: Immigration: Earned Settlement (Commons) – UK Parliament, 2 November 2026
- Hansard: Immigration: Earned Settlement (Lords) – UK Parliament, 2 November 2026
All sources checked on 4 November 2026. Rules and fees change, so check the linked pages for the latest version.
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