How many people continue their stay in the UK or apply to stay permanently?
Updated 23 September 2022
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Data relate to the year ending June 2022 and all comparisons are with the calendar year 2019 (unless indicated otherwise), reflecting a comparison with the period prior to the Covid-pandemic.
On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic. A range of restrictions were implemented in many parts of the world, and the first UK lockdown measures were announced on 23 March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the UK immigration system, both in terms of restricting migrant movements to and from the UK and the impact on operational capacity.
Year ending comparisons that follow will include impacts resulting from the restrictions in place during this period of the pandemic. All data include dependants, unless indicated otherwise.
This section contains data on:
- Decisions on applications for extensions of temporary stay in the UK
- Decisions on applications for settlement
- Residence documentation issued to EEA nationals and their family members
- Applications and grants of British citizenship
1. Extension of temporary stay in the UK
There were 447,259 decisions on applications to extend a person’s stay in the UK (including both main applicants and dependants) in the year ending June 2022, 37% more than in the year ending June 2021, and 46% more than in 2019 prior to the pandemic. This excludes extensions granted to individuals who were unable to leave the UK because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to COVID-19 (see below).
Of the total extensions, 439,288 were grants, representing an overall grant rate of 98%.
Table 1: Grants by reason1,2,3 and refusals of extensions of temporary stay in the UK, 2019 and years ending June 2021 and June 2022
| Year ending | Total decisions | Total grants | Work | Study | Family | Other | Total refusals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2019 | 306,999 | 292,563 | 109,998 | 45,223 | 114,279 | 23,063 | 14,436 |
| June 2021 | 325,523 | 318,992 | 135,085 | 37,387 | 118,941 | 27,579 | 6,531 |
| June 2022 | 447,259 | 439,288 | 240,231 | 33,673 | 125,638 | 39,746 | 7,971 |
| Change: 2019/Year ending June 2022 | +140,260 | +146,725 | +130,233 | -11,550 | +11,359 | +16,683 | -6,465 |
| Percentage change | +46% | +50% | +118% | -26% | +10% | +72% | -45% |
Source: Extensions – Exe_D01
Notes:
- Includes extensions granted to NHS, frontline health and care workers whose visas were due to expire before 1 October 2021. Home Office Management Information indicates that up to the end of June 2022, there were 19,912 such extensions granted, including dependants.
- ‘Other’ includes the new British Nationals (Overseas) (BN(O)) route and cases where the category of grant has not been recorded. ‘Other’ also includes extensions granted to Ukrainian nationals and their family members on Ukraine schemes. For further information see the Statistics on Ukrainians in the UK.
- ‘Other’ excludes extensions granted to individuals who are unable to travel home because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to COVID-19 (8,266 in the year ending June 2021).
Work extensions increased by 78% with 240,231 extensions granted in the year ending June 2022 compared to the previous year and was the most common route in which people extended. More than two fifths (43%) of work-related extensions were to Indian nationals.
Within the work category:
- ‘Worker’ (Skilled work) extensions increased by 35,754 (or +31%) to 151,166. Applicants requiring extensions for skilled work must obtain a certificate of sponsorship (CoS) from a registered employer. Sponsorship table CoS_D01 provides numbers of main applicants for different industry sectors. These data show that in the year ending June 2022, 37% of sponsored ‘Worker’ extension applications were in the Human Health and Social Work Activities sector.
- ‘Other work visas and exemptions’ increased by 70,023 to 80,612 mainly reflecting 66,211 extensions granted in the new Graduate category. The Graduate route, introduced on 1st July 2021, allows eligible students to stay in the UK for a period of 2 or 3 years after successfully completing their studies to work or look for work. Indian nationals accounted for over two fifths (43%) of grants in this route.
- The ‘Investor, business development and talent’ category included 2,591 grants in the year ending June 2022 under the Global talent route, an increase of 712 (38%) on the previous year.
There were 125,638 ‘family-related’ grants of extensions in the year ending June 2022, 6% more than in the previous year and 10% more than in 2019, prior to the pandemic. In the year ending June 2022, there were 63,877 grants in the Family: Partner route, 37% (+17,114) higher than in 2019. The were 60,625 grants in the Family Life (10-year) route, 10% (or -6,372) fewer than in 2019. Pakistani, Indian and Nigerian nationals accounted for two in five (40%) ‘family-related’ extensions granted, a similar proportion to recent years.
There were also 33,673 ‘study-related’ extensions granted in the year ending June 2022, 26% fewer than in 2019. The nationalities most likely to extend their stay for further study in the UK are broadly consistent with the nationalities granted student visas, with Chinese nationals accounting for a quarter (26% or 8,848).
There were 39,746 extensions granted in the ‘Other’ category in the year ending June 2022, 44% more than in the year ending June 2021, and 72% more than in 2019. The ‘Other’ category includes:
- the new Ukraine Schemes, both the Ukraine Extension Scheme and the Ukraine Family Scheme, which account for 35% (14,098) of grants of extension in the ‘Other’ category. Further information can be found in Statistics on Ukrainians in the UK.
- 10,428 extensions in the British Nationals (Overseas) (BN(O)) route in the year ending June 2022. The BN(O) route accounted for over a quarter (26%) of extension grants in the ‘Other’ category in the year ending June 2022. Further information can be found in the How many people come to the UK topic
- 9,592 extensions granted in the Private Life category, 26% (-3,438) lower than in 2019.
The ‘Other’ category excludes extensions granted to individuals who were unable to leave the UK because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to COVID-19.
On the 31 March 2020, as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government announced that NHS frontline workers visas would be extended. On 29 April 2020, it was announced that other frontline health and care workers would also receive visa extensions. Healthcare professionals whose visas were due to expire between 31 March 2020 and 1 October 2020 were given a free, year-long extension. On 20 November, it was announced that this had been extended to cover visas expiring between 1 October 2020 and 31 March 2021. On 09 April it was announced that this would be extended to cover visas expiring up until 30 September 2021. Home Office Management Information indicates that up to the end of March 2022, there was a total of 19,910 extensions granted to health workers and care workers and their dependants, under these policies.
2. Settlement
There were 122,266 decisions on applications for settlement in the UK in the year ending June 2022, 13% more than in the year ending June 2021, and 29% more than 2019. Of these, 120,770 (99%) were granted.
In the latest year, there were increases in settlement grants in the ‘asylum’, ‘family’, and ‘other’ categories but fewer to applicants who had been in the UK for work reasons.
There were 33,670 grants of settlement for ‘family’ reasons, 27% more than in the year ending June 2021, and 31% more than 2019. Grants had previously fallen from a peak of 75,852 in the year ending March 2010 to 4,939 in the year ending September 2017, partly reflecting the change in the probationary period for settlement from 2 to 5 years, as well as falling levels of visas and extensions in previous years. The number of grants have subsequently increased as individuals on a 5-year route to settlement following the rule change are now becoming eligible to apply (further information about the rules changes are available at: ‘Family and private life immigration rule changes 9 July 2012’).
Other changes include:
- Settlement by ‘Skilled workers’ (formerly Tier 2) was 6% lower than in 2019.
- Those granted settlement who had been in the UK for ‘other’ reasons, primarily long residence or discretionary leave, were 10% higher than in 2019 (17,144, up from 15,653).
- There was an increase in settlement granted for asylum-related and resettlement reasons in the year ending June 2022 to 40,759, more than double (+129%) 2019. These changes will reflect patterns of grants in refugee status in earlier years. Nonetheless, the ‘asylum’ category accounted for over a third (34%) of settlement grants in the year ending June 2022.
Table 2: Grants by reason1,2,3 and refusals of settlement in the UK
| Year ending | Total decisions | Total grants | Work | Asylum | Family | Other | Refusals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2019 | 94,457 | 91,439 | 32,218 | 17,803 | 25,765 | 15,653 | 3,018 |
| June 2021 | 108,596 | 106,819 | 33,059 | 34,631 | 26,570 | 12,559 | 1,777 |
| June 2022 | 122,266 | 120,770 | 29,197 | 40,759 | 33,670 | 17,144 | 1,496 |
| Change: 2019/Year ending June 2022 | +27,809 | +29,331 | -3,021 | +22,956 | +7,905 | +1,491 | -1,522 |
| Percentage change | +29% | +32% | -9% | +129% | +31% | +10% | -50% |
Source: Settlement - Se_D02
Notes:
- In addition to the impacts of COVID-19, the number of decisions in a given year can be affected by changes in casework resource allocation. Such fluctuations can be examined in more detail in the quarterly data that are available in the published Settlement tables.
- Trends in numbers applying for settlement will in part reflect policies and patterns of migration some years earlier.
- ‘Other’ includes grants on the basis of Long Residence and grants on a discretionary basis. Also includes a small number of cases where the category of grant has not been recorded.
Figure 1: Grants of settlement in the UK, by reason1, years ending June 2013 to June 2022
Source: Settlement - Se_D02
Notes:
- Reason relates to type of leave held immediately prior to being granted settlement.
Figure 1 shows the number of settlement grants fell from 154,174 in the year ending June 2013 to 58,262 in the year ending June 2017 but have since risen again, reaching a total of 120,770 in the year ending June 2022.
Compared to the year ending June 2013, grants of settlement for ‘work’ reasons have decreased, from 60,994 to 29,197. Grants for ‘family’ reasons also fell across this period, from 60,286 to 33,670. In contrast, grants to people previously granted asylum or resettlement doubled from 20,860 to 40,759 with the largest rises in the last two years, although these partly reflect a rise in ‘asylum’ grants around 2015 and 2016. Grants for ‘other’ reasons (not relating to work, family or asylum) increased from 12,034 to 17,144 over the decade. Trends in numbers applying for settlement will in all cases partly reflect policies and patterns of migration some years earlier.
3. EEA nationals and their family members
Since 30 March 2019, EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens resident in the UK by the end of the transition period at 11pm on 31 December 2020, and their family members, have been able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK.
The Home Office publishes monthly updates and quarterly statistics on the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) on GOV.UK.
The latest quarterly statistics show that 6.7 million applications to the EU Settlement Scheme had been received up to 30 June 2022, of which 6.5 million had been concluded.
Of the 6.7 million applications made, 11% of applications were from repeat applicants (727,770). This indicates that an estimated 5.9 million people had applied to the scheme by the end of June 2022, of which 5.47 million were from EEA and Swiss nationals and approximately 436,900 from non-EEA nationals.
Further information and detailed breakdowns of EUSS applications and their conclusions can be found in the latest quarterly EUSS statistical release.
3.1 Documents issued
Under European (EU) law, EEA nationals and their family members did not need to obtain documentation confirming their right of residence in the UK but EEA nationals could apply for registration certificates and documents certifying permanent residence in the UK. Their non-EEA family members could apply for residence cards and permanent residence cards. These acted as confirmation of their right to stay in the UK.
Documents issued under EU law are no longer valid as evidence of a right of residence in the UK, however applications received by 31 December 2020 are still being processed. More information is available on the relevant visas and immigration pages on GOV.UK.
In the year ending June 2022, there were a total of 783 decisions on applications for EEA residence documents, only two percent of the number in the previous year. This included 679 registration certificates and registration cards issued, and 72 documents certifying permanent residence and permanent residence cards issued.
Table 3: Decisions on applications for residence documents pertaining to EEA citizens and qualifying non-EEA family members in the UK1,2, years ending June 2021 and June 2022
| Year ending | Total decisions | Of total decisions, registration certificates and residence cards - issued | Of total decisions, documents certifying permanent residence and permanent residence cards - issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2021 | 31,799 | 12,450 | 6,305 |
| June 2022 | 783 | 679 | 72 |
Source: Table EEA_01
Notes:
- Registration certificates (EEA nationals) and residence cards (non-EEA family members) reflect documents issued to confirm a treaty right as an EEA national or confirm status as a family member of an EEA national; see User Guide European Economic Area.
- Documents certifying permanent residence (EEA nationals) and permanent residence cards (non-EEA family members) reflect documents issued to EEA and non-EEA nationals for an indefinite period after 5 years living in the UK; see User Guide European Economic Area.
4. Citizenship
4.1 Applications for British citizenship
There were 179,963 applications for British citizenship in the year ending June 2022, 3% more than in 2019 prior to the pandemic.
There were 47,713 applications for citizenship by EU nationals, 4% fewer than in 2019. There were 132,250 applications for citizenship made by non-EU nationals, 6% higher than in 2019.
Figure 2 shows that the number of non-EU applications has remained at a similar level since 2014, whilst EU applications increased up to mid-2021, before seeing a decrease since then. EU nationals accounted for over a quarter (27%) of all citizenship applications in the latest year compared to 12% in 2016. Increases in citizenship applications from EU nationals since 2016 are likely to reflect people seeking to confirm their status in the UK following the EU referendum and the UK’s exit from the EU.
Figure 2: Number of applications for British citizenship from EU and non-EU nationals1,2, years ending June 2013 to June 2022
Source: Citizenship detailed dataset Cit_D01
Notes:
- Series are based on current EU membership; for example, Croatia (who joined the EU in 2013) are included in the EU total for the entire time series.
- The increase in applications made in 2013 may have reflected people anticipating the rule change to the English language element of the ‘Life in the UK’ test as of 28 October 2013. See the Policy and Legislative Changes Timeline for details.
4.2 Grants of British citizenship
There were 194,058 grants of British citizenship in the year ending June 2022, 22% more than in 2019 prior to the pandemic. This increase comes after a period of relative stability since 2014. The recent peak of 208,095 in 2013 occurred prior to a change to the English language element of the ‘Life in the UK’ test.
Figure 3: Number of grants of British citizenship for EU and non-EU nationals, years ending June 2013 to June 2022
Source: Citizenship detailed datasets - Cit_D02
Around one third (31%, or 60,311) of the grants of British citizenship in the year ending June 2022 were to EU citizens, 11,844 or 24% more than in 2019. Italian nationals were the top EU nationality granted citizenship in the latest year (10,590), followed by Romanian (9,021), and Polish (8,276) nationals. These three nationalities accounted for almost half of the grants of British citizenship to EU nationals in the latest year.
There were 133,747 grants of British citizenship to former non-EU citizens in the year ending June 2022, 22,834 or 21% more than in 2019. The top non-EU nationalities granted British citizenship in the latest year were Indian (16,720), Pakistani (15,624), and Nigerian (9,445) nationals. These three nationalities accounted for almost a third (31%) of all grants to non-EU nationals in the year ending June 2022.
The number of grants of citizenship for the registration of children of former EU citizens rose by 52% to 14,752 compared with 2019. For former non-EU citizens there were 30,566 grants in the year ending June 2022, 20% higher than 2019.
Table 4: Grants by reason1 and refusals of citizenship applications, 2019 and year ending June 2022
| Year ending | Total decisions | Total grants | Naturalisation (Residence and Marriage) | Children | Other | Refusals and withdrawals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2019 | 166,093 | 159,380 | 113,552 | 35,201 | 10,627 | 6,713 |
| June 2022 | 197,542 | 194,058 | 141,809 | 45,318 | 6,931 | 3,484 |
| Change: 2019/YE June 2022 | +31,449 | +34,678 | +28,257 | +10,117 | -3,696 | -3,229 |
| Percentage change | +19% | +22% | +25% | +29% | -35% | -48% |
Source: Citizenship detailed datasets – Cit_D02 and underlying data
Notes:
1. ‘Other’ includes Entitlement and Discretionary registration as an adult, Entitlement and Discretionary registration on other grounds, and registration under Section 5 of the British Nationality Act 1981. See the user guide for more details.
5. About these statistics
The statistics in this section refer to individuals who have leave to remain in the UK who wish to extend, or make permanent, their right to remain in the UK.
Before 2021, due to the application to the UK of European Union (EU) free movement law, the majority of UK immigration control related to non-European Economic Area (EEA) nationals. From 2021, unless otherwise stated, data in this release relate to both EEA and non-EEA nationals.
Data in this section should be viewed in the context of wider policy and legislative changes, which can impact the number of applications and decisions. They should also consider the availability and allocation of resources within the Home Office, which can affect the number of decisions made in a given period. For example, fewer citizenship decisions were made in 2015 when UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) resources were used to assist HM Passport Office.
The statistics should not be used to make inferences about the size of the non-British population in the UK. The data do not show whether, or for how long, an individual remains in the UK once their right to remain has been extended or made permanent. Statistics on resident foreign populations in the UK are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
5.1 Extension of temporary stay in the UK
Extensions of temporary stay in the UK relate to individuals inside the UK extending or changing the status of their right to stay in the UK. An individual is required to apply for an extension or change in status before their existing permission to enter or stay in the UK expires.
The statistics in this section show the number of grants and refusals in a given year on applications for extension of temporary stay in the UK. One individual may have made multiple applications for an extension, so may account for multiple decisions in a given period. Data in this section include dependants and take account of the outcomes of reconsiderations and appeals.
The statistics do not show the number of people applying to extend their temporary stay in the UK, nor do they show how long an individual stayed in the UK following their extension.
The statistics in the previous immigration category of students granted an extension were estimated for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018. Data for 2017 are unaffected.
Further information on the statistics in this section can be found in the extension section of the user guide.
5.2 Settlement
Settlement can be granted to individuals – subject to immigration control – to allow them to work, study and travel into and out of the UK without restriction. To be granted settlement, individuals generally must have lived in the UK for a certain length of time in a qualifying category. Those granted settlement can access state benefits and register their UK-born children as British citizens. It does not entitle the individual to a British passport (which requires British citizenship) or to vote in a general election (which requires British, Commonwealth, or Irish Republic citizenship).
The statistics in this section show the number of grants and refusals in a given year on applications for settlement in the UK. They take account of the outcomes of reconsiderations and appeals.
The data on settlement refusals relate to cases where settlement was refused and no other form of leave was granted. Cases where settlement was refused but an extension was granted instead (for example where an individual has not met the qualifying period for settlement) will not be included in the refusal figure.
Individuals who leave the UK for more than 2 years may have their settlement status revoked, except in exceptional circumstances. The statistics do not differentiate between those granted settlement for the first time and those granted settlement multiple times.
5.3 EEA nationals and their family members
Documents issued under EU law are no longer valid as evidence of a right of residence in the UK. Applications received by 31 December 2020 and the outcomes of appeals are still being processed.
The EU Settlement Scheme enables EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens resident in the UK by the end of the transition period at 11pm on 31 December 2020, and their family members, to obtain a UK immigration status. Further information about the EU Settlement Scheme can be found at Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (settled and pre-settled status). The scheme is a simple digital system which enables applicants to obtain, free of charge, settled status or pre-settled status in the UK. Find out more about what settled and pre-settled status mean.
The statistics in this section show the number of registration certificates and registration cards issued, and the number of documents certifying permanent residence and permanent residence cards issued in relation to applications made by 31 December 2020.
After 12 November 2015, a person applying for citizenship who was relying on permanent residence as an EEA national, or as the family member of an EEA national, was required to provide a permanent residence card or a document certifying permanent residence as evidence that they met the requirement to be free of immigration time restrictions. This change, along with EEA nationals’ response to perceived uncertainty following the 2016 EU referendum, is likely to have contributed to the steep increase in demand for EEA residence documentation during 2016 and 2017.
Variations in numbers of decisions can be affected by changes in resources and the mix of cases, as well as policy changes and application levels in earlier periods.
More information about applying for residence documentation and how the status of EU citizens in the UK will be secured now the UK has left the EU is available on the GOV.UK website at Browse: Visas and immigration
Figures on applications received and cases currently outstanding in the European casework route (along with other information such as percentage processed within service standards) can be found in ‘In-country migration data’ on GOV.UK.
5.4 Citizenship
British citizens can live and work in the UK free of any immigration controls. They can apply for a British passport, register to vote in all forms of election and referenda, and share in all the other rights and responsibilities of their status.
Dual citizenship (also known as dual nationality) is allowed in the UK. This means people can be a British citizen and a citizen of other countries.
If someone is not already a British citizen based on where and when they were born, or their parents’ circumstances, they can apply to become one.
The statistics in this section show the number of applications for British citizenship. Data on the number of grants of citizenship are available in the associated data tables.
In May 2022, the Home Office published the ‘Migrant journey: 2021 report’, which explores changes in non-EEA migrants’ visa and leave status as they journey through the UK’s immigration system.
6. Data tables
Data referred to here can be found in the following tables:
- Extensions summary tables
- Detailed extensions datasets
- Settlement summary tables
- Detailed settlement datasets
- Citizenship summary tables
- Detailed Citizenship datasets
- European Economic Area (EEA) tables
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