Rejected petition Do not apply the proposed 10-year ILR requirement to existing UK residents

We urge the UK Government not to apply the proposed extension of ILR qualifying period from 5 to 10 years to individuals who are already legally residing and paying taxes in the UK. This change should apply only to new residents entering the UK after the policy is implemented.

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UK residents today have made significant life decisions based on the existing 5-year ILR policy. Retrospectively changing policy would be unfair, financially and emotionally distressing, and would undermine trust in the UK immigration system. These individuals contribute to UK's economy and society, and should not be penalized. Legal immigration needs to be controlled, but any policy changes should be applied prospectively, with protections for those already in the UK under current rules.

This petition was rejected

Why was this petition rejected?

There’s already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue.

You are more likely to get action on this issue if you sign and share a single petition.

You may wish to sign the following petition, which calls for similar action:

Keep the 5-Year ILR pathway for existing Skilled Worker visa holders
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/727360

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.

Date submitted 16 May 2025
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