By Own Correspondent

Sweeping immigration reforms announced by the UK government have dramatically reshaped the pathway to permanent residency, replacing the traditional five-year settlement route with a performance-based framework.

The shift places Zimbabwean care workers—who form a significant portion of recent arrivals in the health and social care sector—at a particular disadvantage, extending their residency timelines and limiting access to social support.

The new policy, introduced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, ties settlement to economic contribution, tax records, English proficiency, and compliance with immigration rules. The baseline residency requirement rises to ten years, while lower-paid workers—including thousands of Zimbabweans recruited during the post-pandemic labour shortage—face a minimum of fifteen years before qualifying for settlement.

Migrants who rely on state benefits may wait up to twenty years, and those who overstay or breach conditions could remain excluded from settlement for as long as thirty years.

Zimbabweans are likely to be disproportionately affected. Between 2022 and 2024, more than 600,000 workers and dependents entered the UK through the now-closed health and social care route, with Zimbabweans forming a large share of this cohort. Many arrived expecting a stable five-year path to permanence, only to confront a system that now demands repeated visa renewals, higher cumulative costs, and prolonged insecurity. 

The reforms also restrict access to public benefits not only before settlement, but even afterwards. Under the proposed framework, only full British citizens—not settled migrants—would gain access to social housing and welfare. This means Zimbabwean care workers could live and work in the UK for fifteen or twenty years while remaining excluded from basic support, despite contributing taxes throughout that period.