Waiting time for permanent residency in the UK to double

Kathmandu. The UK has amended its immigration rules. Under the new rules, the waiting time for most foreign workers to qualify for permanent residency (PR) has been doubled to 10 years. For refugees arriving in small boats or any other illegal route, the waiting period has been extended to 30 years, according to the news agency Al Jazeera.

Speaking in parliament yesterday, Home Minister Sabana Mahmood said that millions of care workers will be exempted from strict rules. He has given this concession at a time of political opposition and discontent within the ruling Labour Party.

After getting a permanent residence permit in the UK, one gets the right to work, study, use the free National Health Service and claim welfare benefits. So far, this permission has been granted after a period of five years.

The new rules, which will come into effect next year, link the eligibility for permanent residency to income.

People earning more than £50,000 a year, or more than Rs 10 million, can apply after five years. Similarly, those earning more than £125,000 (Rs 2.5 crore) will be able to apply after three years. For everyone else, the 10-year process will apply. In the UK, the median salary is around £39,000, which is about Rs 80 lakh.

Under the revised scheme, carers will be able to reside permanently after five years if they meet the conditions of their visas and earn at least £25,000 or more than £5 million a year.

The government estimates that between 2026 and 2030, up to 1.4 million people will be granted permanent residency.