Keep 5yr ILR for refugees and skilled workers with no benefit Restrictions · petition

What the petition asks

The government should retain the 5-year ILR pathway for existing refugees and current Skilled Worker visa holders. The new rules should apply only to new arrivals including benefits restriction. Refugees should not be required to wait 20 years to obtain settlement.

Extending ILR to 10 or 20 years would unfairly affect refugees and Skilled Workers. The government should maintain the 5-year ILR for existing refugees, current Skilled Workers, and those who applied for asylum before new laws. No benefit restrictions should apply to recognised refugees and those who get ILR following current rules. Increasing ILR to 20 years would disrupt lives, create uncertainty, affect housing, employment, family stability, and children’s future opportunities.

Why it was rejected

There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.

You may wish to sign the following petitions:

Keep the 5-year pathway for all legal immigrants to apply for ILR
Keep the 5-year pathway for all legal immigrants to apply for ILR

Keep the 5-Year ILR route for refugees. Do not extend it to 10 or 20 years
Keep the 5-Year ILR route for refugees. Do not extend it to 10 or 20 years

Protect 5-Year ILR and Benefits for Refugees Already on the Path to settlement
Protect 5-Year ILR and Benefits for Refugees Already on the Path to settlement

Keep 5-year ILR for Skilled Workers & dependents who come before April 2026
Keep 5-year ILR for Skilled Workers & dependents who come before April 2026

Do not apply ILR qualifying period changes retrospectively to ILR applicants
Do not apply ILR qualifying period changes retrospectively to ILR applicants

Timeline

24 Nov 2025	Petition opened for signatures
9 Jan 2026	Rejected by the Petitions Committee