Care Worker ILR: Who Keeps the 5-Year Route
The Government has decided that care workers who joined the route before May 2025 keep their 5-year path to settlement, if they meet the salary and sponsorship rules. Here is who qualifies and what happens if you do not.
Care workers who entered, or switched into, the care worker route before the Immigration White Paper was published in May 2025 will keep a 5-year qualifying period for ILR, provided they meet the £25,000 salary, sponsorship and employment requirements and the new minimum standards (no criminal record, no Government debt, B2 English and the Life in the UK test). Those who joined after May 2025 move to the standard 10-year earned settlement pathway. This is announced policy in CP 1707 (2 November 2026) and is not yet in the Immigration Rules.
Who keeps the 5-year route
The transitional arrangement is a one-off for a defined group. You are in scope if you entered the UK on, or switched into, the care worker route before publication of the Immigration White Paper in May 2025. The Government chose that date because the White Paper publicly announced the plan to move settlement from 5 to 10 years, so later applicants were on notice.
What you must meet
Salary of £25,000
The applicable salary requirement for the 5-year route is £25,000 a year.
Genuine sponsored work
Meet the sponsorship and employment requirements of the route throughout.
No criminal record
Any adult UK criminal record will lead to refusal under earned settlement, including cautions and fines.
B2 English and Life in the UK
B2 English applies to settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027 (HC 1691). You must also pass the Life in the UK test and have no Government debt.
Source: CP 1707, Chapter 8. Exact evidence rules will be set out in guidance before implementation.
Worked examples
| Situation | Likely pathway under CP 1707 |
|---|---|
| Arrived 2023 as a care worker, earns £27,000, same sponsor, genuine work | 5 years, if all minimum requirements are met |
| Arrived 2023, sponsor stopped giving hours, now earning below £25,000 | Not eligible at 5 years; can apply for a further 5-year Health and Care visa |
| Switched from Student to care worker in March 2025 | 5 years from the date of the care worker permission, if the requirements are met (time as a Student does not count) |
| Switched into care work in August 2025 | Standard 10-year pathway, with a shorter route only if an accelerated pathway is met |
Examples are illustrations of the published policy, not advice on any individual case.
If you do not qualify after 5 years
Completing 5 years in the UK is not enough on its own. If you do not meet the salary, sponsorship or employment requirements at the 5-year point, you will not get settlement then. Instead you can apply for a further 5-year Health and Care visa, restricted to genuine work in the sector, to give you time to meet the requirements and apply again. You remain subject to no recourse to public funds on that visa.
If your sponsor loses its licence
From 1 February 2027, care workers who lose their job because their sponsor’s licence is revoked will have up to 120 days to secure a job offer, and a further 60 days to resolve their visa and employment status. If they cannot do so within 120 days, or within 180 days in total, the visa will be curtailed and they will need to leave the UK. The Fair Work Agency, Care Quality Commission and Department of Health and Social Care are responsible for tackling exploitation in the sector.
Joined after May 2025
Care workers who entered or switched into the route after publication of the White Paper are not covered. They follow the standard 10-year pathway, earning at least £12,571 in 5 of the last 7 years, or a combined household income of £25,142. The Home Office estimates about 6,000 care workers are in this group.
Other health and education roles
Separately, workers in health and education occupations below RQF level 6 that are on national pay scales, such as nursing auxiliaries and teaching assistants, keep a 5-year route if they came to the UK before May 2025. Doctors, nurses, midwives, therapists, teachers and social workers have a permanent 5-year pathway. See the full list of eligible public service occupations and the Health and Care Worker ILR guide.
Official sources
Always check the original documents for the current position.
- GOV.UK — A Fairer Pathway to Settlement: Government response (CP 1707) — the final policy, 2 November 2026
- GOV.UK — Home Secretary’s statement to Parliament — timing of the rule changes
- GOV.UK — Health and Care Worker visa — current route rules
- GOV.UK — Indefinite Leave to Remain — the rules that apply today
Frequently asked questions
Common questions from care workers about the 2 November 2026 decision.
Do care workers still get ILR after 5 years?
What salary do care workers need for ILR?
I earn £27,000 as a care worker. Do I qualify for 5 years?
What if I have not met the requirements after 5 years?
What happens if my care home sponsor loses its licence?
Does time as a Student or Graduate count for care worker ILR?
Our editorial and accuracy standards
ILR Calculator UK is an independent, free settlement-planning resource. This page is written from the Government response CP 1707 and the Immigration Rules, with primary sources linked. We mark clearly what is announced policy and what is law, and re-check the page after each Statement of Changes. Researched and maintained by Howard Wilson, Editor. Read our editorial standards.
This site provides general information, not regulated immigration advice. For a view on your own case, use an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) or a solicitor.