A record number of American citizens have applied for British residency and citizenship amid mounting political tensions in the United States, coinciding with the start of Donald Trump's second term as U.S. president. According to data released Thursday by the UK Home Office, 6,618 Americans submitted applications for British citizenship in the 12 months leading up to March-the highest figure since such records began in 2004.
In the first quarter of 2025 alone, 1,931 Americans applied for UK citizenship, marking a 12% increase over the previous quarter and setting a new quarterly record. The surge began after Trump's re-election and gained further momentum following his administration's renewed push for immigration crackdowns.
"There's definitely been an uptick in inquiries from U.S. nationals," said Muhunthan Paramesvaran, an immigration lawyer at Wilsons Solicitors in London, in an interview with the New York Times. "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 U.S.'"
Zeena Luchowa, a partner at Laura Devine Immigration, also noted an increase in interest among U.S. citizens and other foreign nationals. "The queries we're seeing are not necessarily about British citizenship - it's more about seeking to relocate," Luchowa told the Times.
While political polarization in the U.S. appears to be a major factor behind the uptick, British officials and lawyers noted that most of the 5,521 U.S. settlement applications last year were based on family connections, such as marriage or ancestry. Still, lawyers expect further increases due to extended qualification periods and the changing policy environment.
Yvette Cooper, the UK's Home Secretary, told Parliament in May that the government would raise English language requirements and allow some applicants to qualify more quickly based on their societal contributions. "There will be provisions to qualify more swiftly that take account of the contribution people have made," she said.
The shift in U.S. migration interest comes as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government moves to reduce overall immigration, with Starmer vowing to "take back control of our borders." Net migration to the UK fell by nearly half in 2024, to 431,000, compared with 2023, government figures show.
The last spike in American applications for British citizenship occurred in 2020 during Trump's first term, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread civil unrest in the United States.
Recent developments mirror moves by Trump's administration to overhaul the U.S. immigration system. His team has floated the idea of a "gold card" program-an expansion of the EB-5 visa-offering green cards to wealthy foreign investors and their families.
Across Europe, barriers to naturalization are also rising. Italy, for example, enacted new regulations in April tightening visa rules for non-EU nationals and eliminating citizenship eligibility through great-grandparental descent.
