Overview

• Nigel Farage set out proposals to abolish ILR, force existing settled migrants to reapply, and introduce renewable five-year visas with higher salary thresholds, advanced C1 English, tighter family rules and no access to benefits.
• The party says citizenship would require seven years’ residence under tougher tests, with reports indicating applicants would have to relinquish other nationalities and meet near‑native English standards.
• Reform’s touted £230–234 billion saving is based on Centre for Policy Studies analysis the think tank has now withdrawn, saying the overall cost estimates should no longer be used after data revisions.
• Ministers point to their own tightening plans, including a forthcoming consultation to extend the ILR qualifying period from five to ten years under the government’s separate reforms.
• Business groups and politicians warn the move could deepen labour shortages and trigger legal challenges, with experts noting constraints such as protections for many EU citizens under the Brexit withdrawal agreement.