Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of staff being unable to secure indefinite leave to remain due to salary thresholds on the workforce in the NHS.

The Department does not centrally hold data on the number of National Health Service staff whose salaries fall below the salary requirements for indefinite leave to remain, how many are within £500 of those requirements, or how many employees on Skilled Worker visas will not meet the relevant salary requirements at the point they become eligible for indefinite leave to remain.

For Health and Care Worker visa holders, eligibility for indefinite leave to remain is subject to meeting the salary requirements set out in the Immigration Rules. These include occupation‑specific salary “going rates”, many of which are aligned to national Agenda for Change pay scales for NHS roles. Individual eligibility for indefinite leave to remain will depend on specific circumstance. More information on the salary requirements is provided on the GOV.UK website.

The Department engages regularly with NHS Employers and other partners on a range of workforce matters, including international recruitment and retention.

The Home Office consultation on Earned Settlement closed in February 2026 and responses are currently being analysed. This will inform development of the final Earned Settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. Following this, the necessary impact assessments, including those relating to health and care workers, will be undertaken. The Government will set out further details in due course.