A record number of Americans have applied for British citizenship in the first quarter of this year, following Donald Trump’s return to the White House, according to newly released figures
from the UK government.
The UK Home Office reported that 6,618 U.S. citizens applied for British citizenship in the 12 months leading up to March — the highest annual total since records began in 2004. Of those, 1,931 applications were submitted between January and March alone, marking the highest number ever recorded in a single quarter.
The previous surge in applications from Americans occurred in 2020, during Trump’s first term and the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This new wave of interest comes amid increasingly strict immigration policies in Britain. The UK government has recently extended the time legal migrants must wait before applying for citizenship and is considering tougher English language requirements.
In addition to the spike in citizenship applications, the Home Office noted a rise in the number of Americans seeking permanent residency — a necessary step toward becoming a citizen. Last year, the UK approved 5,521 U.S. settlement applications, mostly through family-based routes or for individuals who initially arrived on skilled worker visas.
Globally, there were 238,690 applications for UK citizenship in the year ending in March, an increase from the previous year.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said during a May 12 parliamentary session that some individuals may qualify for settlement more quickly depending on their “contributions” to the UK.
Since Trump’s re-election, immigration lawyers in both the U.S. and UK have reported a spike in inquiries from Americans exploring a move to Britain.
“Some clients already living in the UK are pursuing dual citizenship as a backup plan in case they don’t wish to return to the U.S.,” said Muhunthan Paramesvaran, a senior immigration attorney at Wilsons Solicitors in London.
The trend isn’t limited to U.S. citizens. Law firms are also seeing increased interest from foreign nationals residing in the U.S. who are considering relocating to the UK.
“We’ve seen a rise in queries not only from U.S. nationals, but also from residents of other nationalities who are currently living in the United States and looking to settle in the UK,” said Zeena Luchowa, a partner at Laura Devine Immigration.
The surge comes as the UK’s Labour government aims to curb immigration. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for tighter border controls, warning that uncontrolled immigration risks turning Britain into “an island of strangers.”
Official data show net migration into the UK fell to 431,000 in 2024, nearly half the number from the previous year. Meanwhile, the government extended the residency requirement for settlement from five to ten years.
Plans are also underway to increase English language standards across all immigration pathways. A 2021 study by Oxford University’s Migration Observatory found that nine out of ten migrants reported speaking English well.
On the global stage, the European Union recently pledged $566 million (2025–2027) to attract international researchers, a move widely seen as a response to Trump-era funding cuts to U.S. universities. The UK, which left the EU in 2020, is not part of that initiative.
Meanwhile, Trump has proposed a new “gold card” initiative — an expansion of the EB-5 visa program — offering U.S. green cards to foreign investors who contribute at least $5 million. The current EB-5 threshold stands at $1.05 million, or $800,000 for investment in distressed areas.
“We’re going to be selling a gold card,” Trump said in February, hinting that a government website called TrumpCard.gov will launch soon to handle applications.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick added that the website could go live within a week, with full program details to follow. Photo by Steve Cadman, Wikimedia commons.