UK extends wait for permanent residency to 10 years, Nepalis also affected

The UK government has announced that the standard waiting period to apply for permanent residency will rise from five years to ten years. By the government's own estimate, the new immigration policy will affect more than 500,000 immigrants.

According to lawyer Raju Thapa, who has practiced in the UK for nearly two decades, Nepalis on work visas will also be affected by the change.

Under the new rules, those earning around 50,000 pounds a year will still be able to apply after five years, while holders of the Global Talent and Innovator Founder visas earning around 125,000 pounds a year will be able to apply after three years.

Thapa said meeting this income threshold would be difficult for most Nepalis working in the hotel-restaurant and care sectors. Those unable to meet it would have to renew their visas for a further five years, increasing their financial burden and creating problems for continued employment, he said.

According to Deepak Bhattarai, chairperson of the Society of Nepali Lawyers in the UK, most Nepalis working in the UK earn between roughly 25,000 and 35,000 pounds a year.

Nepalis who went to the UK on student visas and later secured work visas after their studies will also have to wait a long time for permanent residency.

Thapa advised against going through middlemen, citing a rise in fraud in which agents charge 15,000 to 20,000 pounds to arrange work visas using fake sponsorship letters, and suggested contacting companies directly instead.