Why Are Americans Seeking UK Citizenship Now?

A record number of Americans are seeking UK citizenship, according to the latest figures. 

More than 6,100 US citizens applied for UK citizenship in 2024, a 26% increase on 2023. 

The highest number recorded since data collection began in 2004. The figures show a significant increase in applications in the last three months of last year. 

In particular, applications for UK citizenship increased by 40% in the period following Donald Trump’s re-election to the White House.

British newspaper The Guardian has talked to three Americans to know why they were forced to make the decision. 

‘Healthcare, gun violence and politics’, Michael Lark, 58

I grew up in Pennsylvania. But I’ve spent most of my life in Texas. My wife and I always thought we’d live in the US. But then we realised that some things here would never change. When my wife’s health started to deteriorate after Covid, we started to see how much we spent on healthcare. We always felt we had to do better around us. We had to try to help people. But with my wife’s health problems and the return of Donald Trump, we realised that things were not going to be okay. But it’s not just about politics. The culture of gun violence is behind many people leaving the country. Polls show that 80% of people want stronger gun laws, but the government won’t change anything. I remember a parent in the US saying in an interview, ‘I want a safe future for my children.’ We moved to the UK in 2023 and started living in Shrewsbury, where there is a huge community of comic book professionals, which I am involved with. Within a few weeks my wife and I decided that we were not going to go back to America. I have three years before I can apply for my permanent visa and that is what we want to do. I have decided that I want to become a British citizen. Compared to where we lived in the US, we now realise that our quality of life has improved dramatically. 

‘I knew America was not going well’, Joshua Hickman, 38

I was born in Virginia and raised in rural Texas. I originally came to the UK in 2010. I thought I would stay for a while, but then I realised I actually wanted to stay here permanently. I had always suspected that America was not going well. In the meantime, Snowden exposed the NSA surveillance. In 2016, after completing my master’s degree, I had to return to the US due to visa restrictions. My perspective on life in America was changed by living in the UK. I finally decided that living in the US was not possible, by the time Trump came to power. I was involved in a Black Lives Matter protest in Montana, where the police stood by and the militia had the audacity to point guns at us. That’s when I knew I couldn’t stay in the US long-term. I realised it wasn’t going to be a safe place. It was going to get worse. I returned to the UK in 2020 to study musical psychology and now I work here on a visa. I will be a full-time UK resident by 2030. 

‘It hit me that the laws could change at any time’, Melissa Clements, 38

I grew up just outside New York City and moved to the UK with my husband in 2009. I thought I would go back to the US to go to graduate school. I did my undergraduate degree at King’s and they had a very skilled immigrant visa at the time. I think that’s one of the reasons why people are thinking about US citizenship. I got married then and got a (different) visa. In 2014, I decided to pursue my German citizenship because of my Jewish father. At that point, I didn’t think about getting British citizenship because I thought I could stay here forever. Then Brexit happened. There were rights issues from the EU side, but my status wasn’t compromised. I have two daughters and we bought a house here. But it’s my father who is really pushing me to get my British citizenship. Maybe because he grew up as an immigrant and he knows what a piece of paper means. He always tells me, ‘You never know when America is going to change the law. That’s what’s going through my head right now.’ When Trump took office for the second time and started taking steps to revoke birthright citizenship, it was a shock to me. I realized that laws can change in an instant. Now, after many years in the UK, I meet all the criteria for citizenship. I just want to make sure that I can always be with my daughters, wherever they are.

Source: The Guardian