Overview

• Nigel Farage set out a pledge to scrap ILR entirely and require current holders of settled status to reapply for a renewable five‑year visa under tougher rules.
• Proposed criteria include a far higher salary threshold (signalled around £60,000), a C1 English requirement, stricter 'good character' tests, tighter limits on dependants and no access to benefits.
• Reform says ILR would be ended within 100 days of taking office, with a seven‑year residency before citizenship and bans for those who have claimed benefits or spent long periods abroad.
• Policy chief Zia Yusuf said hundreds of thousands could ultimately lose settled status through a staggered process, while a limited Acute Skills Shortage Visa would require employers to fund UK worker training.
• A government spokesperson noted people here illegally do not receive benefits and said foreign nationals usually wait five years to claim Universal Credit, with an increase to ten years under consideration.