- May 25, 2025
Keep the 5-Year ILR Promise: Stand for Fairness, Respect the Past, and Protect the Future — Sign the Petition Now
LONDON May 25: The Kerala Cultural and Welfare Association (KCWA) has launched an urgent online petition urging the UK Government to stop the proposed extension of the settlement period from 5 years to 10 years for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
Together for Fairness: Respect the Past. Protect the Future. Keep the 5-Year ILR Promise.
Why This Matters
Thousands of skilled professionals legally moved to the UK under the points-based immigration system, with a clear understanding: the right to apply for ILR after 5 years of continuous residence.
Now, a proposed policy threatens to retroactively extend this period to 10 years — even for those already well into their 5-year journey.
This change, introduced without consultation, undermines trust, stability, and the core principles of fairness that define the UK’s immigration system.
This is more than a policy shift — it’s a breach of trust that risks destabilising families, careers, and lives built in good faith.
What We’re Asking For
We respectfully urge the UK Government to:
Uphold the original 5-year ILR pathway for those who arrived before any new settlement rules are enacted.
Provide clear, public guarantees of transitional protections to stop the rising anxiety and uncertainty.
Stop retroactive rule changes, and establish a clear principle of non-retroactivity in immigration law.
Acknowledge the immense contributions of skilled migrants across NHS, education, care, engineering, logistics, and other essential sectors.
Ensure future reforms are transparent, consultative, and honour the lives built under prior rules.
Protect the UK’s global reputation as a fair and welcoming home for skilled professionals.
We Have Earned Our Place
The Prime Minister has said: “Settlement in the UK is a privilege that is earned, not a right. Only those who contribute significantly to our economy and society should be able to stay permanently.”
We agree. We are the people who have earned that privilege. We didn’t come to take — we came to give.
We are taxpayers, frontline workers, entrepreneurs, and community builders.
We worked through the pandemic, filled gaps after Brexit, and strengthened the UK when it needed us most.
We’ve paid high taxes (often 40%+), visa fees, health surcharges — without relying on public funds.
We’ve bought homes, started families, opened businesses, and embedded ourselves into British society.
We’ve followed every law, every rule, and every requirement — all while facing constant uncertainty.
What This Policy Change Does
Violates legitimate expectations of migrants who acted in good faith.
Destabilises lives, causing emotional stress, financial hardship, and uncertainty about the future.
Disrupts families, careers, and long-term plans like home ownership, education, and savings.
Damages the UK’s credibility as a dependable destination for global talent.
This Is Not About Favouritism — It’s About Fairness
We accepted the UK’s invitation to help build a stronger post-Brexit Britain. We played by the rules. Now, those rules are being changed mid-way — and we are the ones paying the price.
Honouring the original 5-year ILR pathway is not a favour. It’s a matter of integrity.
Legal Precedents Support Our Position
UK courts have repeatedly upheld that immigration rules should not be applied retroactively, especially when individuals relied on them in good faith:
HSMP Forum v Home Secretary (2008): New ILR rules cannot apply to existing skilled migrants due to legitimate expectations.
BAPIO v Home Secretary (2007): Changes affecting non-EU doctors without transition measures are unlawful.
Odelola v Home Secretary (2009): Immigration rules apply prospectively, not retrospectively.
Sign This Petition If You Believe:
✅ A promise made should be a promise kept.
✅ Immigration rules should never change retroactively.
✅ Skilled, law-abiding, and contributing workers deserve certainty, fairness, and respect.
Act Now — Your Voice Matters
Support fairness. Support trust. Support the thousands of skilled individuals who came to the UK in good faith — and are now being asked to wait longer to settle, without warning or justice.