Inner Circle Nepal newsroom · 6 November 2026
This is not legal advice. It summarises ICN’s reporting of the UK government’s Earned Settlement announcement. Your eligibility depends on your own visa history, earnings, occupation and the final rules. Speak to a regulated adviser before you act.
On November 2, 2026, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told Parliament that most migrants will generally wait 10 years, not five, for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). Rules changes are expected from December 2026 through 2027.
For many Nepali care workers the question is simpler: do I still have a five-year path? This FAQ draws only from ICN’s immigration explainer.
The short answer for care workers
According to the government announcement as reported by ICN:
Qualifying care workers who arrived before May 2025, met their visa conditions, and earned at least £25,000 a year in social care keep the five-year route.
Workers who did not meet their visa conditions will be offered a further five-year care visa. That further visa will not tie them to their previous employer — a point the government linked to workers hit by exploitative or fraudulent sponsors.
An earlier proposal that would have made many lower-paid workers, including care workers, wait up to 15 years has been dropped for those qualifying care workers.
FAQ
1) What changed for everyone else?
Most migrants face a standard 10-year wait. Shorter routes still exist for some groups — for example earnings above £50,271 (five years) or £125,140 (three years), certain public-service workers (five years), and refugees on approved safe and legal routes (five years). Breaches of immigration rules mean at least 20 years; clandestine or small-boat refugee arrivals face up to 30 years.
2) What four conditions apply to applicants whenever they arrived?
ICN reported four cross-cutting conditions: a spotless criminal record; a high standard of spoken English; no outstanding debt to the British taxpayer; and a sustained record of National Insurance contributions. Mahmood said at least three years of contributions. Public debt can include unpaid tax, NHS charges and litigation debt (and for refugees, unpaid asylum-support costs). Finishing the qualifying period alone does not guarantee settlement.
3) I am a Nepali care worker. What should I check first?
Based on the reported concession, check your own documents for three points: arrival before May 2025, visa conditions met, and earnings of at least £25,000 a year in social care. If those match the government’s description, the reported route is five years. If you did not meet visa conditions, the reported offer is a further five-year care visa not tied to the previous employer.
ICN cannot confirm your personal eligibility. Only the final rules and your case file can.
4) What about nurses?
The Royal College of Nursing confirmed on November 2 that registered nurses keep the five-year route, as do nursing support workers who arrived before May 2025. Other qualifying health and education workers have transitional protection, including Migration Advisory Committee roles — check whether your job is listed.
5) Does this apply if I am already in the UK?
Yes — the most consequential part, as reported, is that the new periods are expected to apply to people already in the UK who do not yet have settlement. The government says settlement applications are judged on the rules in force when they are decided, not the rules at arrival. People who already hold settled status keep it.
6) How big is the care route cohort the government cited?
Mahmood said about a quarter of people who arrived or switched into the care route between 2022 and 2025 had not met their conditions. About 250,000 people and their dependants came through or moved into that route in those years. About 1,800 employers were removed from sponsorship, mainly for exploitation or other breaches.
7) What should Nepalis close to year five do now?
Do not assume the old five-year route is still open — and do not assume the new 10-year rule already applies to your case. Dependants may face different periods from the main applicant. Watch the December 2026 immigration rules for exact conditions and transitional arrangements, and get regulated advice for your situation.
What this means in one line
The reported care-worker concession hinges on arrival before May 2025, visa compliance, and ≥ £25,000 in social care — with a further five-year care visa described for those who did not meet conditions. Everyone still faces the four cross-cutting conditions. This FAQ is news reporting, not a decision on your case.
Further reading: UK doubles settlement wait to 10 years for most migrants
