Angela Rayner has raised concerns about Labour’s proposed immigration changes, warning that longer waits for permanent settlement could unfairly affect migrants already living and working in the UK.
The Housing Secretary questioned plans linked to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s earned settlement reforms. The proposals would increase the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to 10 years for most migrants. Some workers, including those in lower-skilled roles, could face a 15-year baseline.
Rayner’s comments come as Labour prepares for its annual conference. They add to growing debate inside the party over whether proposed changes should apply to people who arrived under the existing rules.
Rayner Raises Concerns Over Settlement Changes
Rayner told The Times that she was concerned about changing the rules for people who came to Britain earlier in the decade with the expectation that they could qualify for permanent residence after five years.
She argued that changing the requirements later could leave migrants facing a different settlement route from the one they originally expected.
Rayner has made similar comments before. In March, she criticised plans to extend the settlement period and said the government should not keep “moving the goalposts.”
Her latest intervention keeps pressure on ministers as they consider how to introduce the reforms.
Care Workers Could Face Longer Wait
The proposed changes have attracted particular attention over their potential impact on health and social care workers.
Under the government’s earned settlement model, most migrants would start with a 10-year qualifying period. However, the baseline could rise to 15 years for some lower-skilled occupations, including many care workers.
Rayner said the proposals could affect foreign care workers who had moved their lives to Britain to look after other people.
The issue has also drawn criticism from trade unions and Labour MPs. Unison, for example, has campaigned against the longer settlement period for migrant care workers.
Government Still Reviewing the Rules
Mahmood has said the government will consider transitional arrangements for people already in the UK.
The Home Office launched its earned settlement consultation in November 2025. It proposed replacing the previous fixed settlement model with a system based on contribution, conduct and integration.
The government later said it had received more than 200,000 consultation responses. Officials are considering those responses before finalising further changes.
Mahmood has also acknowledged that a large group of migrants who arrived in 2022 could become eligible for settlement in 2027 if the existing rules remain unchanged.
She said the government would set out its final settlement policy and any transitional arrangements later.
Labour MPs Debate the Approach
Rayner is not the only Labour figure to question the proposals.
York Central MP Rachael Maskell has also called for a rethink. She argued that people who came to Britain to work and contribute should not suddenly face a much longer route to settlement.
Meanwhile, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy rejected descriptions of the reforms as “un-British.” However, she also said the government would not change the rules in a way that unfairly disadvantages migrants who have contributed to the UK.
Nandy said ministers would balance fairness toward migrants with the government’s aim of maintaining public confidence in the immigration system.
What Happens Next?
The government has not yet settled every detail of the new settlement system.
That leaves the question of transitional arrangements particularly important for migrants already living in Britain. If the government applies the longer qualifying periods to people already in the country, some workers could face a substantially longer wait for indefinite leave to remain.
However, exemptions or transitional measures could change the impact on different groups.
For now, Rayner’s intervention adds to pressure on the government to address those concerns before it finalises the immigration overhaul.
The debate also highlights a wider question for Labour: how to tighten settlement rules while maintaining the party’s stated commitment to treating migrants who contribute to British society fairly.
