The land of the flee, perhaps? Staggering numbers released by the Home Office reveal that Americans are now flocking the UK in their droves, with over 6,600 of them applying for full residency in the UK over the last 12 months. However, the sharpest increase came in January.
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Why are some many Americans choosing to live in the UK?
Since the month Donald Trump was inaugurated as US president for the second time, just under 2,000 Americans have submitted their paperwork for an indefinite stay in Britain, granting them the right to work here and potentially become a citizen of this nation.
These figures, according to officials, are the highest for any quarter since the government started keeping records in 2004. The overlap with the political developments stateside and the surge in applications hasn’t been lost on industry professionals, either.
Trump factor ‘likely behind American emigration inquiries’, says top lawyer
One immigration lawyer who spoke to The Guardian this confirmed that inquiries did increase ‘in the immediate aftermath of the election’, and also referred to the subsequent announcement of several executive orders that were made on the day of Trump’s inauguration.
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. However, some still debate the political influence behind this data.
Republican figures reject claims of ‘political motivation’
Jennifer Ewing, spokeswoman for Republicans Overseas UK, told GB News that there were several other factors at play. Despite the quarterly record being set and the sharp spike of applications at the start of 2025, she believes that American émigrés are motivated by other things.
“There is a net inflow of Americans coming to the UK. It’s likely that they choose this country because of the glamorous culture, of events such as Ascot and Wimbledon. The numbers will also be boosted by students coming here, and there are many business reasons too.” | Jennifer Ewing