BrowsePetitions#727577
PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk

Ensure that immigrants on existing visas remain on the 5-year path to ILR.

The UK government plans to extend the wait time for eligibility for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) from 5 years to 10 years. Please ensure that immigrants on existing visas remain subject to the original 5-year path to ILR; the terms they accepted, when they paid their visa fees and NHS subcharge.

Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
21
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 21/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 21/100,000
Background
UK laws must not be retrospective. Immigrants on existing visas have paid substantial sums of money in visa application fees and NHS subcharges, as well as made significant life-changing decisions to migrate here, with the original 5-year path to ILR in mind. If the UK government fails to preserve these terms they agreed to, then this is a retrospective application of the law, which is unfair, exploitative and essentially a rug-pull and cash-grab of people in an already difficult situation.