Key points
- 6,000 US nationals have applied to become British nationals: The Guardian
- New data showed applications surged in first three months of this year: The New York Times
- 1,900 of applications received between January and March
ISLAMABAD: During the 12 months leading up to March, over 6,000 US nationals have applied to either become British nationals or to live and work in the country indefinitely – the highest number since comparable records began in 2004, The Guardian reported.
The Guardian cited the data released by the UK’s Home Office as saying over the period, 6,618 Americans applied for British citizenship – with more than 1,900 of the applications received between January and March, most of which has been during the beginning of Donald Trump’s second US presidency.
“Political climate in US”
The New York Times reported that new data from the UK government showed applications surged in the first three months of this year, which some analysts attributed to the political climate in the United States.
Immigration lawyers said that they had received an increased number of inquiries from people in the United States about possibly relocating to Britain in the wake of President Trump’s re-election in November, according to The New York Times.
“Applications”
The increase in British citizenship applications from Americans took place against a backdrop of similar increases from across the world, but the global rate — 9.5 per cent year-on-year — was far outpaced by the 30 per cent jump from the US.
Separate data published by the Home Office this week showed that a record number of Americans were given the right to settle in Britain in 2024, allowing them to live and work indefinitely in the country as a necessary precursor to citizenship, according to The New York Times.
