Indefinite Leave to Remain UK: Reform Party Plans to Scrap Permanent Residency and Replace with Tougher Visas

Reform UK has unveiled a plan to abolish indefinite leave to remain in the UK if it wins the next general election. The party says permanent residency would end, and migrants would instead need to reapply for tougher visas every five years.

Leader Nigel Farage said the move is designed to address what he calls the “Boris wave” of migration after Brexit. The policy targets hundreds of thousands of people currently on the path to permanent settlement.

What Ending Indefinite Leave to Remain Means

Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) allows migrants to stay in the UK permanently. It lets them work, study, and access benefits. It is also the main route to British citizenship.

Under current rules, most migrants can apply for ILR after five years. They must meet English language standards, pass the Life in the UK test, and have no serious criminal record. Some categories allow earlier applications.

Reform says ILR is too generous and wants to replace it. Migrants would face new five-year visas with stricter rules. These include higher salary thresholds and tougher language checks. The party says this will reduce welfare costs and make the system fairer.

Reaction and Wider Impact

According to BBC and Reuters, the party claims its plan would save £234 billion over decades. Labour and the Liberal Democrats dismissed this figure. They said the numbers are unreliable and the policy could damage the economy.

The government has already proposed increasing the ILR wait time from five to ten years. Reform UK’s plan goes further by ending permanent residency altogether. The change would not affect EU nationals protected under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

Reform also proposes a new “Acute Skills Shortage Visa.” Under this system, firms could hire one migrant worker only if they train one local worker at the same time. The party also wants to raise the wait time for UK citizenship from six to seven years.

Critics warn the changes would harm business and reduce growth. Employers say losing permanent settlement rights could make it harder to attract skilled workers. Farage argues it would reduce reliance on cheap foreign labour.

The future of indefinite leave to remain in the UK is now a central election debate. The plan sets up a clash between Reform, the government, and opposition parties over the country’s migration policy.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

Q1: What is indefinite leave to remain in the UK?

It is a permanent right to stay in the UK. It allows migrants to live, work, and study without time limits and to access benefits.

Q2: How long does it take to get ILR?

Most people qualify after five years. Some categories allow earlier, but applicants must meet strict rules and pass tests.

Q3: What does Reform UK propose?

The party wants to abolish ILR. Migrants would reapply for tougher visas every five years instead of gaining permanent settlement.

Q4: Who would be affected?

Hundreds of thousands of migrants currently in the UK. EU citizens with settled status under Brexit rules would not be impacted.

Q5: Why is this controversial?

Supporters say it reduces welfare costs. Critics argue it would harm business, limit growth, and disrupt communities.

Sources

BBC News, Reuters, Associated Press, The Telegraph, Financial Times