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Written question asked by Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru) on Thursday, 17 July 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 22 July 2025 (named day). It was answered by Seema Malhotra (Labour) on Tuesday, 22 July 2025 on behalf of the Home Office.

Visas: Skilled Workers

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the potential merits of using the certificate of sponsorship start date to start the qualifying period for care workers on skilled worker visas to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

Answer

The requirement to hold a certificate of sponsorship is part of the eligibility criteria of the skilled worker route and does not confer any permission to enter or stay in the UK. An applicant for settlement must show a period of lawful continuous residence.

The new Immigration Rules will end overseas recruitment for Care Workers and take effect on 22 July. Transitional arrangements will allow in country switching until 2028 and individuals will continue to be able to extend their permission. The qualification period for Indefinite Leave to Remain begins when the individuals first entered the UK in the Skilled Worker route.

The Immigration White Paper sets out proposed changes to settlement rules. We will consult on the details of the policy later this year. These are important changes, we recognise how important this is to people, and will listen to what people tell us in that consultation. We will provide further details of how the scheme will work after that.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
68947
Session
2024-26
Related items
Restoring Control over the Immigration System
Monday, 12 May 2025
Command papers
House of Commons
House of Lords
Subjects
Immigration Visas Skilled workers Sponsorship Care workers
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk