A summary of Reform UK’s policy proposals on immigration.
At the time of writing, opinion polling for the next General Election has Reform UK consistently in first place. YouGov’s September poll, which canvassed opinions from a substantial sample size of 13,000, had Reform on 27 points, ahead of Labour on 21.
While the next General Election is still a ways off (at the latest, and most likely, in 2029), these polls indicate that there is now a very real chance of Reform UK forming the next UK Government – either with a majority, or in coalition with the Conservatives.
In recent weeks, Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has set out more detail of the party’s policies on immigration. While it has long been understood that Reform would take a generally “anti-immigration” stance, the latest announcements have provided greater insight into Farage’s plans.
Indefinite Leave to Remain
Perhaps the most widely publicised of Reform’s policy proposals are their plans for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Currently, an individual can qualify for ILR after having spent five years (or less, in some cases) on a qualifying visa – such as a Skilled Worker visa or Family visa. Once someone has ILR, they have a permanent right to live and work in the UK, and do not need to apply for any further visas.
The Labour Government are already proposing extending the qualifying period for ILR to ten years – more on this here. However, Reform’s proposals would see ILR entirely abolished, preventing migrants from qualifying regardless of their length of residence. What’s more, Reform would rescind ILR from all those currently holding the status – meaning that people who have been living in the UK for years, decades even, could suddenly have their permanent residence rights revoked.
Reform would replace ILR with a new visa, which would need to be renewed every five years. This visa would require higher standards of English language (a proposal similar to ones put forward by the Labour Government in the Immigration White Paper – read more here) as well as imposing stricter requirements on bringing family members to the UK. The most radical element of the new visa are the salary requirements, which it is understood would require applicants to be earning at least £60,000 per year – almost twice as much as the current UK median salary.
In practice then, while the new visa is presented as an alternative to ILR, the net effect would be that all but the highest-earning ILR holders would fail to meet the new requirements and would therefore be removed from the UK. Many of these people will have built lives here, having been assured that their right of residence in the UK was permanent.
Reform have confirmed that these changes won’t apply to those who have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme – as these people’s rights are currently protected under the UK’s Withdrawal Agreement with the EU.
British citizenship
Currently, British citizenship can be applied for after having had ILR status for twelve months – giving a total wait time from starting a qualifying visa to applying for citizenship of six years.
Reform have said that they would increase the average wait to apply for citizenship from six to seven years. However, it is not entirely clear how this will work in practice, given that Reform plan to scrap ILR entirely. Will an individual now be entitled to apply directly for citizenship after having been on qualifying visas for seven years? This may result in a wave of applications for British citizenship, although Reform will presumably impose salary and other requirements at least equivalent to those planned for the new visa.
Strangely, Reform’s approach to citizenship is arguably more generous than that under Labour’s current proposals (save for the £60,000 salary requirement, if this does end up being applied to citizenship applications). As Labour are looking to increase the qualifying period for ILR to ten years, it would follow that it would then take eleven years to qualify for British citizenship – four more years than as proposed by Reform!
Acute Skills Shortage Visas
Reform are also proposing to introduce a new visa – the Acute Skills Shortage Visa (ASSV) for jobs in crisis. The visa would be limited to those sectors where there is perceived to be a shortage of skills, filling a similar niche to the existing Temporary Shortage List for the Skilled Worker visa. Most likely, the ASSV would replace the Skilled Worker route entirely in due course, given Reform’s plans to significantly restrict immigration.
The ASSV comes with a caveat, however, in that it requires businesses to train one domestic worker for each worker hired from from abroad under the scheme. How Reform plan to determine whether this training has been done to an adequate standard is yet to be detailed.
More routes for entrepreneurs and investors?
In contrast to the party’s general anti-immigration stance, Reform have indicated that they would increase the number of entrepreneur and investor routes. The existing Innovator Founder visa has had very little take-up, with applicants in relevant sectors increasingly pivoting to the Global Talent visa, which has less onerous requirements on business plans.
It remains to be seen what Reform’s new routes might look like – for now, all that they have said is that they will support “founders, innovators, and those willing to commit significant capital to our economy.” That last point may remind you of the old Tier 1 Investor visa, which was scrapped in 2022 after being subject to consistent abuse by those who had acquired their wealth illegitimately or who were associated with wider corruption.
With the future of UK politics and immigration so uncertain, ensuring that you are prepared is more important than ever. Applying for citizenship now can protect your residency status, with ILR alone no longer providing the same level of certainty on residency rights – similarly, if you apply for ILR now, you should still have time to apply for citizenship before the next General Election.
We would therefore encourage those on the cusp of qualifying for ILR or British citizenship to consider their options, and to get in touch if you have any questions – you can reach us at [email protected].
