517,000 migrants now face a longer wait to settle.

Most workers already in the UK must wait 10 years, not 5, for permanent residency.

Earnings set the clock: above £50,000 the wait stays at 5 years, above £125,000 it falls to 3.

Care workers who arrived before May 2025 and earn at least £25,000 keep the 5-year path.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has not costed the exemption and will publish figures when she puts the rules before Parliament.

How each outlet framed it

drawn from 200+ reports worldwide

BBC
centres the Tory 'U-turn' label and the refusal to price the revised plan, while Mahmood claims 'billions' still saved
Al Jazeera Online
ties settlement to income bands (£50k for 5 years, £125k for 3) and the up-to-30-year wait for small-boat refugees
Dawn
frames the rules as Burnham's government balancing voter demand for lower immigration against growth, with half a million settling later

Sources: BBC, Al Jazeera Online, Dawn