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[UK Introduces New Tiered Permanent Residency Framework: Baseline Raised to 10 Years, 3 Years for High-Income Residents, 5 Years for Caregivers, and Up to 30 Years for Illegal Immigrants] (1) The UK government recently announced a package of immigration reforms, raising the uniform waiting time for legal immigrants applying for permanent residency from five years to ten years, and implementing differentiated arrangements for different groups. (2) Home Secretary Mahmoud officially launched a new tiered settlement framework, dividing permanent residency applications into three paths: the high-income path, where those with an annual salary of over £125,000 (approximately RMB 1.115 million) and meeting the requirements can apply for permanent residency in just 3 years; the caregiver path, where those who meet the requirements of language proficiency, no criminal record, and continuous payment of National Insurance retain their eligibility to apply for permanent residency for 5 years; and the illegal immigration path, where those who illegally cross the English Channel by small boat must wait up to 30 years before they can apply. (3) This is the latest step by the UK government in continuously tightening its immigration policy against the backdrop of a surge in immigration numbers after Brexit. The government stated that since Brexit, the number of immigrants has remained high, and it is expected that a large number of low-skilled workers and their families will reach the original permanent residency threshold in the coming years. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the rules to address voters' concerns about the scale of immigration. (4) The initial tightening plan was opposed by unions and the Labour Party itself. The government subsequently reserved a special channel for care workers. Mahmoud emphasized that those who make greater contributions will be approved faster, while those who violate the rules will face rejection or long waiting times. (5) Many businesses have expressed concern, warning that stricter settlement conditions may further amplify the labor shortage in the UK service industry. External analysis suggests that this adjustment is also a political measure taken by the Labour Party to cope with the competitive pressure from the Reform Party and to reconcile different voices within the party.