Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has set out tougher immigration plans, promising to overhaul the current system that lets migrants apply for permanent residency after five years in Britain.

Speaking ahead of a Monday press conference, Farage said his party would scrap indefinite leave to remain (ILR) altogether. Instead of being able to settle, migrants would have to renew their visas every five years – with stricter conditions attached.

Under the proposed system, applicants would need to earn higher salaries, prove stronger English language skills, and wait seven years instead of five before becoming eligible for longer-term residency. Rules on bringing spouses and children into the UK would also be tightened.

One of the most controversial parts of the plan is a ban on migrants accessing benefits. Reform UK’s policy chief Zia Yusuf told The Telegraph the party would not only abolish ILR going forward, but also strip it from those who have already obtained it, phasing changes in gradually. He argued that only UK citizens should be able to claim welfare or social housing.

Yusuf also attacked the rise in migration since Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit policies, dubbing it the “Boriswave”. He warned that many who arrived during that period will soon qualify for permanent status unless rules change.

He claimed the move could save taxpayers over £230 billion, while giving businesses time to train British workers to replace migrants who lose their settled status. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.