NextFin news, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage unveiled a new immigration policy on Sunday, September 21, 2025, proposing to scrap the current indefinite leave to remain (ILR) system for migrants in the United Kingdom. Instead, migrants would be granted a renewable five-year visa subject to stricter eligibility criteria.
The announcement was made during a press conference in London, where Farage outlined that the new visa would require higher salary thresholds, more stringent limits on bringing dependants, no prior access to benefits, and improved English language proficiency. Additionally, the party plans to extend the residency requirement for British citizenship from five to seven years.
Farage described the current surge in migrants qualifying for ILR as the "Boriswave," attributing it to the Conservative government's post-Brexit immigration system introduced under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He criticized the system for allowing many low-skilled migrants on low wages to settle permanently, which he said burdens public services and welfare.
Reform UK also pledged to restrict work visas to critical national roles with acute skills shortages, imposing a cap on numbers and requiring employers to pay a levy to fund training for British workers. Farage emphasized that the policy aims to raise wages by reducing the supply of cheap, unskilled foreign labor.
The party intends to make "massive" cuts to welfare spending, limiting benefits access exclusively to UK citizens. Farage claimed that one in six universal credit claimants were born abroad, highlighting the fiscal impact of migration.
The announcement drew criticism from London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, who condemned the plan to scrap ILR as threatening legal residents who contribute to the city. Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves dismissed Reform UK's financial claims as lacking basis in reality.
Reform UK's policy represents a significant shift in the UK's immigration framework, focusing on limiting permanent settlement and tightening conditions for migrant workers. The party plans to campaign on these issues in the upcoming local elections in London and beyond.
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