UK extends wait for permanent residency from 5 years to 10

The standard period migrants must wait to obtain permanent residence in Britain, known as PR, has been extended from five years to 10 years.

British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the new rules for migrants seeking PR in Parliament, saying many previous provisions had been changed. In Britain, PR is also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain, or ILR.

Under the new "Earned Settlement" model, the right to settle will no longer be automatic, and the waiting period will be determined by a migrant's contribution and conduct, it was stated.

Lower-income individuals will have to wait longer for indefinite leave to remain, while the process has been eased for high earners and certain special groups.

Under the rules, those earning more than roughly 50,000 pounds a year, those working in health and education, and teachers will be eligible for PR within five years. Highly skilled migrants earning more than roughly 125,000 pounds a year, or holding a "Global Talent" or "Innovator Founder" visa, will be able to apply within three years.

Those claiming government benefits will have to wait 20 years. Refugees who reached Britain through small boats or other unlawful routes across the Channel will have to wait 20 years if they work or study, and up to 30 years if they do not.