Warning up to 46,000 nursing staff could leave UK under visa changes

Tens of thousands of international nursing staff could leave the UK if government proposals to double the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) go ahead, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned.

The Home Office is expected to consult on proposals to increase the ILR threshold from five to 10 years.

The RCN said the move would deepen the NHS staffing crisis, risk patient care and undermine the government’s own health reforms.

The union has urged ministers to abandon the plans, which it said would create uncertainty and hardship for international nurses, many of whom arrived during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A survey of more than 5,000 migrant nursing staff by the RCN suggests that 60% of those without ILR would be very likely to reconsider staying in the UK if the qualifying period is extended.

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Based on current workforce figures, this could mean as many as 46,000 nurses leaving, the union said.

RCN general secretary and chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger commented: ‘This is no way to repay them and amounts to a betrayal.

‘Our international colleagues deserve clarity over their futures, not to be used as political footballs by politicians and left unable to access state support despite working in public services and paying taxes.’

The RCN emphasised that international staff without ILR are tied to their employers through their visas, limiting job mobility and exposing them to exploitation, particularly in social care.

They are also ineligible for support such as child benefit or disability payments.

The union is calling for settled status on arrival for international nurses, in line with policies in New Zealand and Canada, and for a reduction in ILR application fees, currently £3,029 per person.

According to the RCN, the proposed changes are already causing distress among international staff, with more than half expressing extreme concern about their financial security, family life and careers.

Professor Ranger added: ‘These proposals are not just immoral; they would be dangerous for our patients.

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‘No minister who has any interest in the success of our health and social care system would press ahead with extending the qualifying period for ILR.’

A government spokesperson said: ‘We are grateful to our overseas frontline healthcare workers, who bring compassion, deliver high-quality care and strengthen our health service, but net migration must come down.

‘As the home secretary has set out, under our proposed new settlement model, individuals will have the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period to settlement and citizenship based on contributions to the UK economy and society.

‘We will launch the consultation shortly and encourage health and care workers to take part when it launches.’

In June 2025, data from the Nursing and Midwifery Council showed that overseas  nurse recruitment had fallen for the first time in six years.

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And unions have roundly condemned government plans to end the recruitment of care workers from overseas.

Last year, data showed a 65% annual decline in the number of Health and Care Worker visas granted following the government’s move to ban direct overseas care workers from bringing dependents to the UK on their visa.

The RCN has previously warned that almost two-thirds of migrant nursing staff are considering leaving the UK because of cost of living pressures.