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Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Record number of Americans seeking UK residency, says Home Office
During the 12 months leading up to March, more than 6,000 US citizens have applied to either become British subjects or to live and work in the country indefinitely – the highest number since comparable records began in 2004, according to data released on Thursday by the UK's Home Office. Over the period, 6,618 Americans applied for British citizenship – with more than 1,900 of the applications received between January and March, most of which has been during the beginning of Donald Trump's second US presidency. The surge in applications at the start of 2025 made that the highest number for any quarter on record. Related: 1.5m foreign workers already in UK could face longer wait for permanent settlement The figures come as British authorities under a Labour government are trying to reduce immigration to the UK, with Britain's prime minister, Keir Starmer, vowing to take 'back control of our borders' and warning that uncontrolled immigration could result in the country 'becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together'. UK figures show net migration dropped by almost half in 2024 – to 431,000 – compared with 2023. The surge in US applications for UK residency comes as American immigration lawyers say they are receiving an increasing number of inquiries. Some are pointing to the polarized political climate in the Trump-led country, which itself is mounting an aggressive immigration-related crackdown. Muhunthan Paramesvaran, an immigration lawyer at Wilsons Solicitors in London, told the New York Times that inquiries had risen 'in the immediate aftermath of the election and the various pronouncements that were made'. 'There's definitely been an uptick in inquiries from US nationals,' Paramesvaran told the outlet. 'People who were already here may have been thinking: 'I want the option of dual citizenship in the event that I don't want to go back to the US.'' Zeena Luchowa, a partner at Laura Devine Immigration, which specializes in US migration to the UK, was more explicit in pointing to the 'political landscape' amid Trump's government. Luchowa told the outlet that the rise was not limited to US nationals – but also other nationalities living there. 'The queries we're seeing are not necessarily about British citizenship – it's more about seeking to relocate,' Luchowa said to the Times. However, the increase in US applications to the UK may not necessarily reflect political conditions in either country. Of the 5,521 settlement applications from US citizens last year, most were from people who were eligible via spousal or family links. Paramesvaran said such applications were likely to climb because the UK government had extended the qualification period from five years to 10 before they could apply for settlement. But Labour government politicians have hinted that some applicants may be able to skirt those requirements. That echoes one aspect of Trump's thinking in the US, where he has floated the idea of an immigration 'gold card' – in essence, an extension of the EB-5 program that extends green cards to foreign investors and their families. The UK home secretary, Yvette Cooper, told parliament earlier in May that 'there will be provisions to qualify more swiftly that take account of the contribution people have made' and said the British government 'will introduce new, higher language requirements' because 'the ability to speak English is integral to everyone's ability to contribute and integrate'.
Sky News
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Ministers to crack down on visas from nationalities 'most likely to overstay and claim asylum'
The government is set to announce plans to restrict work and study visa applications from particular nationalities that are most likely to overstay and then claim asylum, Sky News understands. It is understood that the Home Office is specifically planning on restricting visa applications from Sri Lankans, Pakistanis, and Nigerians - nationalities that are statistically some of the highest asylum applicants linked to overstaying visas. But they may not be the only nationalities subject to a crackdown, with the government planning to reject the visa applications of individuals who fit the profile of an applicant likely to go on to claim asylum once in the UK and are from countries with high rates of asylum claims. According to The Times, which first reported this story, the Home Office is also looking to prevent people who arrive in the UK on a visa and go on to request asylum from claiming they are destitute to then receive taxpayer-funded accommodation. 4:05 When applying for a visa to come to work or study in the UK, applicants must prove they have enough money to support themselves and any dependents for the duration of their planned stay. These new measures are expected to be part of the government's White Paper on immigration, due to be published shortly, which will aim to bring down the number of new arrivals to the UK. Net migration stood at 728,000 in the year to June 2024. Efforts to reduce immigration to the UK are in much sharper focus for ministers in the wake of Reform UK's seismic victory at last week's local elections, securing 677 council seats and control of 10 local authorities, as well as two mayoralties. According to the latest polling from YouGov, 48% of Britons say immigration is one of the top issues facing the country, which is the second most important issue after the economy. 4:29 But the plans are likely to face a backlash from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Nigeria, who could argue the government's measures discriminate against them. There are also questions over the legality of the plans, and they will likely be challenged in the courts. The government is under severe pressure to reduce migration, having promised major reforms at last year's general election. Tackling the abuse of work and study visas has been a focus of both this government, and the last Conservative one. 1:53 A Home Office spokesperson said in a statement: "To tackle abuse by foreign nationals who arrive on work and study visas and go on to claim asylum, we are building intelligence on the profile of these individuals to identify them earlier and faster. "We keep the visa system under constant review and will where we detect trends, which may undermine our immigration rules, we will not hesitate to take action. "Under our Plan for Change, our upcoming Immigration White Paper will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system." Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, told The Times: "This is a desperate response to the thrashing Labour got in last week's elections, but like everything Starmer offers, it is just performative and won't make a difference. "The system already refuses visas for people who fit the profile of asylum claimants, and asylum seekers already have to prove they are destitute to get accommodation."
