Did They Not Want to Be Under the Same Sky as Trump... 26% Increase in Young Americans Applying for Citizenship

Record Number of Americans Apply for British Citizenship
Applications Surge by 40% in Q4 Amid US Election
Meanwhile, Britons Emigrate to Ireland

Last year, the number of Americans applying for British citizenship reached an all-time high. While a significant number of Britons applied for Irish citizenship for political reasons, among others, it is analyzed that Americans are migrating to the UK. On the 3rd (local time), the British Financial Times (FT) reported, citing the UK Home Office, that "the number of Americans applying for British citizenship last year exceeded 6,100, a 26% increase compared to the previous year."

Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

This is the highest figure since related records began being compiled 20 years ago. In particular, the number of applications in the fourth quarter of last year was 1,700, showing a 40% increase compared to the same period the previous year. Ahead of the US presidential election in November last year, as the possibility of then-candidate Donald Trump's re-election grew, American interest in British citizenship appears to have intensified.

Elena Hinchin, a partner attorney at Parer & Co and an immigration specialist, analyzed, "The political situation in the US is a major factor increasing interest in residing in the UK," adding, "Since the US presidential election phase intensified last year, interest among Americans in (British) citizenship has increased significantly, attracting much more attention than during Trump's first term."

There is also an assessment that last year’s UK tax reform influenced the increase in immigration among wealthy Americans. Last year, the UK abolished the 'non-resident tariff exemption' system, under which non-residents who live in the UK but have their legal permanent residence abroad were not taxed on income earned overseas as long as it was not brought into the UK. As a result, some wealthy individuals seeking to leave the UK appeared, and some chose to apply for citizenship.

Attorney Hinchin said, "American asset holders residing in the UK, considering leaving due to the abolition of the tax exemption, applied for British citizenship to provide their children with more options." To apply for British citizenship, one must have lived in the UK for five years or have parents who are British citizens.

Conversely, Britons are turning to Ireland to escape the political and economic turmoil in the UK following Brexit. According to the FT, the number of British applicants last year for Ireland’s Foreign Births Register (FBR), a citizenship route for those with Irish grandparents or parents, reached 23,456. This is the highest number since digital records began in 2013.

Another immigration specialist, Reza Nejom, explained to the FT, "Some people are seeking alternatives such as immigration due to the uncertain political situation in the UK. The UK economy remains unattractive to younger generations, and those approaching retirement are also concerned about wealth taxes and other issues."