Key facts
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expected to announce final decision on immigration rules next week.
- Proposed rules would extend wait for permanent settlement from five to 10 years for most migrants.
- Social care workers likely to be exempt from the longer wait.
- Government consultation on reforms received 200,000 responses.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to announce her final decision on immigration rules for legal migrants next week. The proposals had suggested extending the wait for permanent settlement from the current five years to 10, with some lower-paid migrants facing a 15-year wait. However, the BBC understands that social care workers already in the UK are now likely to be exempt from the longer wait. Most other workers will likely have to live and work in the UK for 10 years before being eligible for permanent settlement, though this could be reduced if they contribute to their local communities or have higher incomes. The government's consultation on the proposed reforms received 200,000 responses.