Trump's triumph triggers rush for British citizenship
More and more Americans are applying for British citizenship. This is attributed to Donald Trump's election victory and tax changes in the UK, reports the "Financial Times". The number of citizenship applications increased by 40%.
A British newspaper reports that applications for British citizenship from Americans surged last year to an all-time high, driven in part by Donald Trump's return to power and changes in the UK tax system.
In 2024, over 6,100 US citizens applied for a British passport. This is 26% more than in 2023. However, the largest increase was recorded in the last quarter of 2024, when the US presidential elections took place—year-over-year, the number of applications jumped by 40% (1,700). According to government data in London, last year saw another record. In total, over 251,000 foreigners submitted applications for a British passport.
The Trump effect
According to immigration lawyers, it was Donald Trump's candidacy and his election victory that led to the increased interest in British citizenship. Additionally, there is talk of tax changes in the UK, which are expected to come into effect on 6 April and are anticipated to encourage wealthier Americans further to seek a new passport. This involves the abolition of the non-dom tax status.
As explained by the Polish service polishexpress.eu, "Non-dom is a tax status that means a person living in the UK but having a permanent place of residence for tax purposes outside the UK. Non-dom only concerns tax status and has nothing to do with citizenship or origin."
The "FT" explains that wealthier Americans are eager to obtain British citizenship now to get ahead of the regulatory changes.
We’ve definitely seen more interest in citizenship from the US since the lead-up to the election campaign. There’s much more interest than under the previous Trump administration, said Elena Hinchin of the law firm Farrer & Co.
The "FT" reminds us that to apply for British citizenship, one must live in the UK for five years or have parents with British citizenship. One can also apply if their spouse has a British passport and has been living in the UK for three years.
Data from the Home Office shows that the number of applications submitted by Americans has been steadily increasing since the end of 2022. Ono Okeregha, a director at the law firm Immigration Advice Service, added that the number of applications is growing because Americans who left the country during Trump's first presidency from 2016 to 2020 are now qualifying for citizenship.
There has also been an increase in the number of Americans applying for Irish citizenship.
