Petition
Keep 5-Year Settlement for Students who switched to Health & Care Visas
Rejected
16 signatures
What the petition asks
We ask the Government to maintain the current 5-year qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) for all Health and Care Worker visa holders who hold a UK university degree.
Thousands of students entered the UK through legitimate, highly-regulated routes. Many first contributed significantly to the UK economy as international students, paying high tuition fees to UK universities. UK graduates have already spent years integrated into British society, mastered the English language, and adopted UK professional standards.They chose to stay and serve in care sector based on a genuine passion for public service, with a legal promise of a 5-year path to settlement.
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 this petition which calls for a similar action: Keep 5-year ILR for Health and Care visa holders to protect the NHS
Timeline
| 11 Feb 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
16
Status
Rejected
Rejected
19 Mar 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 13 Aug 2026.