Britain moves toward stricter immigration rules as Shabana Mahmood is expected to outline measures today

Britain’s home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is expected to set out changes to immigration rules today. Her statement will focus on tighter conditions and a longer wait for permanent residence in the United Kingdom.

The proposals were first introduced in November 2025 and aimed to extend the current five-year period for obtaining permanent residence, known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

With this status, immigrants can live, work and study in Britain without a time limit. It also allows them to access certain welfare benefits.

Under the initial proposals, foreign social care workers could have had to wait up to 15 years to secure permanent residence. According to information made public, the measures may be softened, with workers in the sector who already live in Britain exempted from the new rules.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner had previously opposed applying the changes retroactively. She described doing so as “un-British,” particularly if it affected immigrants already in the country.

Mahmood has defended extending the waiting period, arguing that many immigrants who came to Britain legally are approaching eligibility for permanent residence. She said the rise in net migration after Brexit, under the previous Conservative government, has made changes to the system necessary.

Citing figures from the Migration Advisory Committee, Mahmood warned that this situation could cost taxpayers up to £10 billion over the lifetimes of those granted the status.

In a speech in March, Mahmood said Britain had recorded levels of immigration between 2021 and 2024 that had previously been seen over a period of four decades.

She added that, within the next five years, around 350,000 lower-skilled workers and their family members who came to Britain on health and social care visas would become eligible to apply for permanent residence. Obtaining the status would also give them access to certain welfare benefits.

The government’s year-long public consultation on the proposed reforms has received more than 200,000 responses.

Mahmood’s statement today is expected to clarify which of the initial measures will remain in place, whether immigrants already living and working in Britain will be exempt from the changes, and how much longer the wait for permanent residence will become.