UK to introduce tough new rules for foreign workers. Will it impact Indians?
The waiting time for a long-term stay application has also been doubled. Foreign nationals will have to wait ten years, instead of five, to apply.
Foreign workers in the United Kingdom will need to wait ten years, instead of five, to qualify for permanent residency, and migrants will need to pass a "series of new tests" to prove their ability to be a good citizen, the Labour government announced.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Monday said that people will have to earn the right to claim indefinite leave to remain in the country, which would then allow them access to certain welfare benefits, along with the ability to work in the UK and a route to citizenship, Bloomberg reported.
The waiting time for a long-term stay application has also been doubled. Foreign nationals will have to wait ten years, instead of five, to apply. They must also meet some set conditions, which range from making national insurance contributions to learning English to a "high standard" and volunteering for local charities.
“Because the truth is, across this country, people feel like things are spinning out of control,” she said during Labour's annual conference in Liverpool.
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She added, "When they hear of widespread illegal working, under-cutting British workers, they feel the system is rigged.”
The latest development comes as part of the Keir Starmer government's crackdown on illegal migration into Britain. From digital IDs to deporting illegal migrants, the UK administration has taken several steps towards its agenda.
Earlier this month, Reform UK announced that it would get rid of the Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) status and instead require employees to apply for a five-year renewable visa.
The Labour government is under pressure to respond amid Opposition leader Nigel Farage's Reform in the polls.
Impact on Indian workers in UK
Since Indians form one of the largest groups of migrants, workers and students in the United Kingdom, they are likely to suffer a significant impact from this move.
The new series of tests and the doubled duration of the wait to apply for permanent residency might increase their financial burden, along with the shadow of uncertainty.
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In December 2024, 975,100 Indian nationals were under the employment payroll in the UK, according to data from the British government. Indians held the largest number of employment of any non-UK nationality.
The data showed that between December 2023 and December 2024, the total payrolled employment of UK nationals decreased by 241,000, while that of EU nationals dipped by 80,200.
Britain issued 81,463 work-related visas to Indian nationals in 2024, The Standard UK reported, citing data from the Home Office.
Of these, 34,954 Indians were classified as main applicants and the remaining 46,409 were classified as dependants, or immediate family members.
The most common categories of work visas issued to Indian workers last year were the health and care worker visa and the skilled worker visa.
Work visas being issued to Indian nationals, however, took a dip in comparison to the data from 2023. The numbers dropped by half as the UK issued work visas to 162,655 Indians in 2023, in comparison to the 81,463 issued in 2024.
Meanwhile, under a free trade agreement formalised between India and the UK in July this year, Britain was to ease some rules for Indian workers.
An "innovative" Double Contribution Convention (DCC) exempted Indian workers and their employers from UK social security contributions for a period of three years, boosting competitiveness and earnings. The move was seen as a significant cost-saving measure for Indian IT and financial services firms sending employees to the UK on work visas.
However, the UK imposed a quota of 1,800 per year for qualified Indian traditional chefs, yoga instructors and classical musicians entering as contractual service suppliers, with temporary entry and stay permissible up to 12 months in any 24-month period.
