Shabana Mahmood signals potential watering down of care worker visa plans

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has indicated that the government may revise controversial plans to extend the period required for overseas care workers to gain permanent residency in the UK. Speaking at the Labour conference in Liverpool, Mahmood acknowledged that some elements of the proposed reforms have been deemed unfair, suggesting a potential U-turn amid pressure from within the party and from trade unions.

The current rules allow social care workers on a health and care visa to apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years. Mahmood's proposed reforms would extend this to 15 years and would apply retrospectively to those who arrived from 2021 onwards. This has drawn criticism from figures like Angela Rayner and Andrea Egan, who argue it penalizes essential workers and creates insecurity.

Mahmood stated that the government aims to find a balance that is fair to those who came to the UK legally and to British citizens. She also announced new initiatives to facilitate legal migration, including opening applications in October for charities and non-profit organizations to sponsor refugees through community and student sponsorship routes. The UK Resettlement Route will also be reopened to resettle vulnerable refugees globally, with a focus on Afghan women and girls and Palestinians fleeing conflict.