Trump's WH return fuels surge in US applications for UK citizenship to historic high
The number of American citizens seeking for UK citizenship reached its highest level ever last year, reveals Home Office's data.
With Donald Trump's return to white House and modifications to UK tax laws, a new report reveals that the number of American citizens seeking UK citizenship reached its highest level ever last year.
In 2024, more than 6,100 citizens of the United States applied, which is a 26% increase as compared to 2023 and the highest number since records began 20 years ago. The number of applications seeking UK citizenship soared by 6% to 251,000, setting a new high.
According to the Home Office's data, the number of applications from US residents climbed significantly in the final quarter of 2024, increasing by 40% year over year to almost 1,700, Financial Times reported.
In addition to UK tax reforms that encourage Americans to obtain British passports prior to their departure, immigration attorneys stated that Trump's presidential reelection campaign and triumph in the beginning of November contributed to the spike.
Unravelling reasons behind 40% rise in applications
Elena Hinchin, an associate at the legal firm Farrer & Co., stated that the political climate in the US is “a very serious driver” of the rise in demand for relocating to the UK.
The removal of non-dom tax status in the UK, Hinchin continued, has also prompted some affluent Americans who were residing in the country to apply for citizenship prior to their departure.
“Many high-net-worth individuals are considering leaving the UK given the tax changes,” Hinchin said. “They want to apply for citizenship now so that they don’t lose the right to do so . . . it just keeps the door open and means more flexibility for their children.”
People who meet certain requirements, such as the amount of time they have resided in the UK, if their parents are UK nationals, or they are married to a Brit, are eligible to apply for citizenship.
The data revealed that US citizens were “particularly keen” to obtain citizenship last year, according to Madeleine Sumption, head of Oxford University's Migration Observatory. However, she highlighted that people usually had a variety of frequent personal motivations for obtaining citizenship in other countries.
