LONDON – In a move set to stir further debate on Britain’s immigration policies, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party has unveiled a controversial new proposal aimed at tightening residency rules for foreign nationals. The right-wing populist party, currently gaining traction in national opinion polls, says the changes are designed to prioritize high earners with strong English proficiency, reducing overall immigration numbers.
As revealed in the Daily Mail on Monday, Reform UK plans to scrap the current Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) system. In its place, the party would introduce a renewable five-year work visa. Crucially, this new visa would deny holders access to welfare benefits and the ability to bring family members with them. Additionally, existing ILR holders would see their status revoked under these proposals.
Nigel Farage is expected to expand on the plan in a press conference later today.
Despite holding just five seats in the 650-member British Parliament, Reform UK is currently polling at 28%—an impressive eight-point lead over the governing Labour Party. While the next general election isn’t expected until 2029, the party’s rhetoric is already shifting the national conversation.
Immigration has emerged as a flashpoint issue in British politics, even overtaking economic concerns in some voter segments. The UK has seen a sharp increase in immigration since the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside record numbers of asylum applications.
The government has responded by proposing its own tougher rules, including a public consultation to extend the ILR waiting period from five to ten years.
Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s policy chief, added in an article for The Telegraph that the new plan could force hundreds of thousands of residents to reapply—and potentially lose—their settled status. “This will be done on a staggered and orderly basis to allow businesses to train British workers to replace them,” Yusuf stated.
According to government data, 173,000 people were granted settlement in the year to March 2025—a 33% increase over the previous year. Officials estimate that over a million individuals may become eligible for settlement in the near future, largely due to post-Brexit immigration trends.
Reform UK would also extend the residency requirement for British citizenship from five to seven years under its proposal.
