Care workers and ILR: the transitional 5-year route

Who keeps a 5-year route?

Care workers who entered or switched into the care worker route before 12 May 2025, the date of the Immigration White Paper, keep a 5-year route to settlement, provided they:

• earn at least £25,000 a year
• are sponsored by a licensed employer
• are doing genuine care work

What if I do not meet the requirements after 5 years?

You will not qualify for settlement simply because you have spent 5 years in the UK. But you can apply for a further 5-year Health and Care Worker visa, restricted to genuine work in the care sector. You will continue to have no recourse to public funds on that visa. This gives you a second chance to meet the requirements.

If your sponsor loses its licence

The Government has said it will continue to work with care workers who lose their sponsor through no fault of their own, to help them find a new employer.

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 do not secure a job offer within 120 days, or resolve their status within 180 days in total, their visa will be cut short and they will need to leave the UK.

Are senior care workers included?

The Government response refers to “care workers”. Whether senior care workers are included in the transitional arrangement should be confirmed in guidance before the rules start.

Care workers who joined on or after 12 May 2025

Care workers who joined the route on or after 12 May 2025 do not get the transitional protection. They follow the standard 10-year pathway, unless their earnings or another factor puts them on a shorter one.

Other requirements

All the mandatory requirements still apply, including no criminal record, no Government debt, B2 English and the Life in the UK test.