India, Sept. 30 -- Foreign workers in the United Kingdom will need to wait ten years, instead of five, to qualify for permanent residency, and migrants will need to pass a "series of new tests" to prove their ability to be a good citizen, the Labour government announced.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Monday said that people will have to earn the right to claim indefinite leave to remain in the country, which would then allow them access to certain welfare benefits, along with the ability to work in the UK and a route to citizenship, Bloomberg reported.

The waiting time for a long-term stay application has also been doubled. Foreign nationals will have to wait ten years, instead of five, to apply. They must also meet some set conditi...