Americans rush for british citizenship amid Trump era changes
A record number of Americans applied for British citizenship between January and March, a period marking the beginning of the second term of U.S. President Donald Trump, according to CNN, which cited data from the UK's Home Office in London.
In the first three months of the year, a total of 1,931 Americans submitted applications, reflecting a 12% increase from the previous quarter and the highest figure since such statistics started being collected in 2004, CNN reported. There was also an increase during the last quarter of the previous year, when Trump won the elections.
The last time interest among Americans in British citizenship rose sharply was in 2020, during Trump’s first term, amid the global Covid-19 pandemic.
According to immigration lawyers, Donald Trump's candidacy and his election victory sparked increased interest in British citizenship. An added incentive for wealthier Americans has been the tax changes that took effect in the UK on April 6. This refers to the abolition of the non-dom tax status.
As explained by BBC, "'Non-dom' describes a UK resident whose permanent home - or domicile - for tax purposes is outside the UK. It refers to a person's tax status, and has nothing to do with their nationality, citizenship or resident status - although it can be affected by these factors. A non-dom only pays UK tax on the money they earn in the UK. They do not have to pay tax to the UK government on money made elsewhere in the world (unless they pay that money into a UK bank account)."
To apply for British citizenship, one must live in the UK for five years or have parents with British citizenship. An individual can also apply if their spouse has a British passport and they have lived in the UK for three years.
Americans are seeking opportunities to reside in Europe, though it is becoming increasingly difficult. Last year, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the UK government would tighten the requirements for legal migrants. The waiting time to be granted citizenship is expected to increase.
Similarly, the Italian government adopted regulations in April restricting the ability to obtain citizenship. In addition to tightening visa regulations for non-EU citizens, Italy has removed the ability for people whose great-grandparents were Italian to apply for citizenship.
