AgenciesA record number of Americans applied for British citizenship in the first quarter of 2025, surpassing all previous figures since records began in 2004, according to data released by the UK Home Office.
Between January and March, 1,931 U.S. citizens submitted applications — a 12% increase from the previous quarter and the highest ever recorded in a single quarter. This surge follows a similar spike during the final months of 2024, coinciding with Donald Trump’s re-election.
In total, 6,618 Americans applied for British citizenship in the 12 months leading to March 2025 — the most in a single year since records began.
The upward trend also extended to permanent settlement. In 2024, more than 5,500 Americans were granted settled status in the UK, giving them the right to live, work, and study in the country indefinitely — a 20% increase from the previous year and another record high.
Immigration experts link the growing interest to concerns over U.S. political stability.
“There’s definitely been an uptick in inquiries from U.S. nationals,” Muhunthan Paramesvaran, senior immigration lawyer at Wilsons Solicitors in London, told the New York Times. “People who were already here may be thinking, ‘I want the option of dual citizenship in case I don’t want to go back to the U.S.’”
Others see the trend as part of a broader shift. Zeena Luchowa, a partner at Laura Devine Immigration, noted increased inquiries not just from American citizens but also U.S. residents of other nationalities. “The queries we’re seeing are less about citizenship and more about long-term relocation,” she said, citing the evolving political landscape in the U.S. as a key factor.
The last major spike in American applications came in 2020, during Trump’s first term and the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, over 5,800 Americans renounced their U.S. citizenship in just six months — nearly triple the total for all of 2019, according to Bambridge Accountants, a firm specializing in cross-border taxation.
While interest in British and European relocation is growing, immigration policies are tightening. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently announced plans to raise the bar for legal migration and lengthen the wait for citizenship eligibility. Meanwhile, Italy has eliminated the citizenship route through great-grandparents and introduced stricter visa rules for non-EU citizens.
Despite these changes, the surge in American applications reflects a broader desire for stability, mobility, and new beginnings abroad.
Between January and March, 1,931 U.S. citizens submitted applications — a 12% increase from the previous quarter and the highest ever recorded in a single quarter. This surge follows a similar spike during the final months of 2024, coinciding with Donald Trump’s re-election.
In total, 6,618 Americans applied for British citizenship in the 12 months leading to March 2025 — the most in a single year since records began.
The upward trend also extended to permanent settlement. In 2024, more than 5,500 Americans were granted settled status in the UK, giving them the right to live, work, and study in the country indefinitely — a 20% increase from the previous year and another record high.
Immigration experts link the growing interest to concerns over U.S. political stability.
“There’s definitely been an uptick in inquiries from U.S. nationals,” Muhunthan Paramesvaran, senior immigration lawyer at Wilsons Solicitors in London, told the New York Times. “People who were already here may be thinking, ‘I want the option of dual citizenship in case I don’t want to go back to the U.S.’”
Others see the trend as part of a broader shift. Zeena Luchowa, a partner at Laura Devine Immigration, noted increased inquiries not just from American citizens but also U.S. residents of other nationalities. “The queries we’re seeing are less about citizenship and more about long-term relocation,” she said, citing the evolving political landscape in the U.S. as a key factor.
The last major spike in American applications came in 2020, during Trump’s first term and the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, over 5,800 Americans renounced their U.S. citizenship in just six months — nearly triple the total for all of 2019, according to Bambridge Accountants, a firm specializing in cross-border taxation.
While interest in British and European relocation is growing, immigration policies are tightening. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently announced plans to raise the bar for legal migration and lengthen the wait for citizenship eligibility. Meanwhile, Italy has eliminated the citizenship route through great-grandparents and introduced stricter visa rules for non-EU citizens.
Despite these changes, the surge in American applications reflects a broader desire for stability, mobility, and new beginnings abroad.
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