LONDON – In a move that’s stirring both support and concern, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party has unveiled a tough new immigration proposal that would significantly tighten the rules for foreign nationals wishing to live and work in Britain.
Speaking through a feature in the Daily Mail on Monday, Farage outlined the party’s plan to scrap the current Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) system, replacing it with a five-year renewable work visa. This visa would bar migrants from claiming welfare benefits and prohibit them from bringing family members, marking a drastic shift in the country’s residency policy. The proposal also includes revoking ILR status for those who already possess it.
In a separate piece published in the Telegraph, Reform UK’s policy chief, Zia Yusuf, explained that this shift would affect “hundreds of thousands” of current residents, forcing many to reapply under the new rules and potentially lose their right to settled status. However, Yusuf emphasized the changes would be implemented “staggeredly and orderly” to give UK businesses time to train British replacements for affected roles.
Farage is expected to hold a press conference later today to further elaborate on the proposals.
Reform UK currently holds just five seats in the 650-member British Parliament, but recent polls place the party at 28% support, a full eight-point lead over the Labour Party. The next UK general election is expected in 2029, leaving time for policies like this to gain traction—or stir controversy.
Immigration remains a hot-button issue across the UK, particularly in the wake of post-COVID migration surges and record asylum applications. In the year ending March 2025, 173,000 people were granted settlement—a 33% increase from the previous year. Over one million are projected to become eligible for permanent residency in the next few years, largely due to the migration wave that followed Brexit.
Reform UK’s new vision includes lengthening the citizenship eligibility period from five to seven years, reinforcing the message that only high-skilled, English-proficient individuals will be prioritized under the new system.
