National statistics

How many people continue their stay in the UK or apply to stay permanently?

Published 25 February 2021

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Data relate to the year ending December 2020 and all comparisons are with the year ending December 2019, unless indicated otherwise.

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic. A range of restrictions relating to the outbreak began on 12 March 2020, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advised against all non-essential overseas travel on 17 March 2020, and advised all British travellers to return to the UK on 23 March 2020, the same day as the first UK lockdown measures were announced.

Restrictions were put in place across Europe and other parts of the world in the run up to the UK outbreak, which will also have impacted travel to the UK prior to these dates. 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 reflect the restrictions in place during this period of the pandemic. Commentary specifically addressing changes over the course of the pandemic is also provided at the end of each section, where relevant.

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

The Home Office publishes monthly updates and quarterly experimental statistics on the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), available on GOV.UK. The latest quarterly statistics report was published on 25 February 2021 (for the period up to 31 December 2020) and the most recent monthly summary (to January 2021) was published on 11 February 2021.

1. Extension of temporary stay in the UK

Excluding extensions granted to individuals who were unable to leave the UK because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to COVID-19 (see ‘The impact of COVID-19’ section below), there were 234,527 decisions on applications to extend a person’s stay in the UK (including dependants) in 2020, 24% fewer than in 2019.

Of the total extensions, 228,171 were grants, representing an overall grant rate of 97%.

Table 1: Grants by reason^1,2 and refusals of extensions of temporary stay in the UK

Year	Total decisions	Total grants	Work	Study	Family	Other	Total refusals
2019	306,999	292,563	109,998	45,223	114,279	23,063	14,436
2020	234,527	228,171	99,867	30,610	84,702	12,992	6,356
Change (latest year)	-72,472	-64,392	-10,131	-14,613	-29,577	-10,071	-8,080
Percentage change	-24%	-22%	-9%	-32%	-26%	-44%	-56%

Source: Extensions – Exe_D01
Notes:

1. Includes extensions granted to NHS, frontline health and care workers whose visas are due to expire before 21 March 2021. Home Office Management Information indicates that up to the end of 2020, there were 7,663 such extensions granted, including dependants.
2. ‘Other’ excludes 116,684 extensions granted to individuals who are unable to travel home because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to coronavirus (COVID-19). For further details see ‘The effects of COVID-19 on extensions’ section below. ‘Other’ includes cases where the category of grant has not been recorded.

Work was the most common route in which people extended, with 99,867 extensions in 2020, 9% fewer than in 2019. The majority (84%) were extensions in Skilled (Tier 2) work categories. Indian nationals were granted the highest number of work-related extensions during the year (43% of the total, which reflects the high proportion of successful applications for Tier 2 visas issued to Indian nationals).

There were 84,702 family-related grants of extensions in 2020, 26% fewer than in 2019. Pakistani, Nigerian and Indian nationals account for nearly two in five (38%) family-related extensions granted over the year.

There were also 30,610 study-related extensions granted in 2020, 32% 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 nearly a third (31% or 9,583).

Grants in the Other category fell by nearly a half (-44%) to 12,992 in 2020. However, this excludes extensions granted to individuals who were unable to leave the UK because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to COVID-19, which are covered in ‘The impact of COVID-19’ section on extensions below.

1.1 The impact of COVID-19

On the 31 March 2020, as part of the response to the Covid pandemic, the government announced that NHS frontline workers visas would be extended. On 29 April 2020, it was announced that 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 the 20 November, it was announced that had been extended to cover visas expiring between 1 October 2020 and 31 March 2021. Up to the end of December 2020, there were 7,663 extensions granted, including dependants, under these policies.

In addition to those granted extensions under existing policies, a separate policy for those currently unable to return home due to COVID-19 was announced on 17th February 2020, which was further extended on 24th March 2020 and again on the 22nd May 2020. Up to the end of 2020, there had been 116,684 COVID-19 related extensions granted, to individuals who were unable to travel home at the end of their current visa. Chinese and Indian nationals accounted for three quarters (75%) of these grants.

Table 2: The top 5 nationalities, granted COVID-19 related extensions, who were unable to travel home at the end of their current visa

Nationality	Grants
China	72,662
India	14,612
Nigeria	3,983
Pakistan	1,934
United States	1,534
Other nationalities	21,959
Total	116,684

Source: Subset of the ‘Other’ (non-work, asylum or family) category in Extensions – Exe_D01

Excluding individuals who were unable to leave the UK because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to COVID-19, there were a further 101,610 extensions granted in the fourth quarter of 2020, 8% more than in the same period in 2019 (93,686). Prior to this, grants had been much lower in the period April to September 2020 (66,385) compared to the same months in 2019 (136,166).

As well as the impact from COVID-19 on the number of applications for extensions, the decrease from April in grants and subsequent recovery in numbers may also have been linked to the move of visa processing from an operation requiring physical presence in the office to one that can be, to a large extent, now delivered through remote working.

Figure 1: Extensions of leave granted¹ in the UK, by month, from January to December of 2019 and 2020

Source: Extensions – Exe_D01
Chart notes:

1. Excludes extensions granted to individuals who were unable to leave the UK because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to COVID-19

2. Settlement

There were 87,433 decisions on applications for settlement in the UK from non-EEA nationals in 2020, 7% fewer than 2019. Of these, 85,470 (98%) resulted in a grant.

In the latest year there were decreases in settlement grants for:

• Family reasons (down 19% to 20,905)
• Skilled (Tier 2) work, which decreased by 26% to 17,059, while High Value (Tier 1) work decreased by 36% to 3,977
• Grants to those previously in the UK for other reasons, primarily long residence or discretionary leave, which were 43% lower at 8,880; this continued the downward trend since 2018 but numbers dropped sharply in the second and third quarters of 2020

In contrast, there was an increase in settlement granted for asylum-related reasons, up 75% to 31,244. This reflects many of those who were granted refugee status in the UK around the time of the 2015/16 ‘migration crisis’, which saw large volumes of asylum seekers claim in the UK (and Europe more widely), now qualifying for settlement. The asylum category accounted for over a third (37%) of settlement grants in 2020.

Table 3: Grants by reason^1,2,3 and refusals of settlement in the UK

Year	Total decisions	Total grants	Work	Asylum	Family	Other	Refusals
2019	94,457	91,439	32,218	17,803	25,765	15,653	3,018
2020	87,433	85,470	24,441	31,244	20,905	8,880	1,963
Change: latest 12 months	-7,024	-5,969	-7,777	+13,441	-4,860	-6,773	-1,055
Percentage change	-7%	-7%	-24%	+75%	-19%	-43%	-35%

Source: Settlement table se_02_q
Notes:

1. 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.
2. Trends in numbers applying for settlement will in part reflect policies and patterns of migration some years earlier.
3. ‘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 2: Grants of settlement in the UK, by reason¹, for 2011 to 2020

Source: Settlement table se_02_q
Notes:

1. Reason relates to type of leave held immediately prior to being granted settlement.

2.1 The impact of COVID-19

The Home Office published a report on 28 May 2020, which provided a statistical overview of COVID-19 impacts on the immigration system through to the end of April 2020. Since then there have been further changes over the course of the year.

The number of settlement decisions fell significantly at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the beginning of restrictions in the UK. From April 2020 UK Visa and Citizenship Application Centres (UKVCAS) temporary closed, there was a temporary pause of postal routes and the processing operation moved from one focused on physical presence in the office to one that can be, to a large extent, delivered through remote working. Settlement decision making capability recovered quickly, following the initial drop at the start of the Covid 19 pandemic, and caseworkers are now able to fully operate remotely whilst a minimal office presence processes physical documents within ‘Covid secure’ parameters for the accommodation.

The number of settlement grants fell significantly in April 2020, from 6,385 in the preceding month to 1,518. The number of grants generally started to recover again in the following months and from September 2020 grants of settlement were higher compared with the same month the previous year. Although settlement grants in the period April-to-June 2020 were 43% lower than the same period a year earlier, the number of grants by the final quarter of the year was 27% higher than the fourth quarter a year earlier.

Figure 3: Grants of settlement in the UK, by month, 2019 and 2020

Source: Settlement table se_02_q

3. EEA nationals and their family members

Under European law, EEA nationals and their dependants did not need to obtain documentation confirming their right of residence in the UK but could apply for registration certificates and documents certifying permanent residence in the UK. Their non-EEA family members could apply for residence and permanent residence cards. These acted as confirmation of their right to stay in the UK.

Some current residence documents will no longer be valid after 30 June 2021. Applications received before 1 January 2021 are still being processed. More information is available on the relevant visas and immigration pages on GOV.UK.

Since 30 March 2019, EU and EEA nationals resident in the UK, along with their non-EEA family members, can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK.

The Home Office publishes summary EU Settlement Scheme statistics on a monthly basis, with more detailed statistical reports published quarterly. The latest data show that 5.06 million applications to the EU Settlement Scheme had been received up to 31 January 2021.

3.1 Documents issued

In 2020, there were a total of 45,913 decisions in applications for EEA residence documents, 71% fewer than the previous year. This included 19,139 registration certificates and registration cards issued, and 10,659 documents certifying permanent residence and permanent residence cards issued.

Table 5: Decisions in applications for EEA residence documents

Year ending	Total decisions	Of total decisions, registration certificates and residence cards 1 - issued	Of total decisions, documents certifying permanent residence and permanent residence cards 2 - issued
2019	158,064	65,406	52,276
2020	45,913	19,139	10,659
Change: latest year	-112,151	-46,267	-41,617
Percentage change	-71%	-71%	-80%

Source: Table EEA_01
Notes:

1. 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 Glossary of Terms.
2. 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 Glossary of Terms.

4. Citizenship

4.1 Applications for British citizenship

There were 170,692 applications for British citizenship in 2020, only slightly (2%) fewer than 2019.

Applications for citizenship by EU nationals rose by 20% compared to the previous year to 59,229. EU nationals now account for more than a third (35%) of all citizenship applications compared with 12% in 2016. Increases in citizenship applications from EU nationals since 2016 are likely to reflect more people seeking to confirm their status in the UK following the EU referendum.

Applications made by non-EU nationals fell by 11% in 2020 to 111,463 although the trend in non-EU citizenship applications has been broadly stable since 2014.

Figure 4: Number of applications for British citizenship from EU and non-EU nationals^1,2, 2011 to 2020

Source: Citizenship detailed dataset Cit_D01
Chart notes:

1. 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.
2. 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 130,568 grants of British citizenship in 2020, 18% fewer than the previous year. This fall was due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic response and comes after a period of relative stability since 2014. Prior to this, the peak of 208,095 was in 2013, before a change to the English language element of the ‘Life in the UK’ test.

There were 40,637 grants of British citizenship to former EU citizens in 2020, 7,830 or 16% fewer than the previous year. Italian nationals were the top EU nationality granted citizenship in the latest year (6,050), followed by Romanian (5,485) and Polish (5,430) nationals.

There were 89,931 grants of British citizenship to former non-EU citizens in 2020, 20,982 or 19% fewer than the previous year. The top non-EU nationalities granted British citizenship were Pakistani (11,460), Indian (11,445) and Nigerian (8,066) nationals. These three nationalities accounted for a just over a third (34%) of all grants to non-EU nationals.

Of the grants of British citizenship in the last year, more than half (53%) were to those who qualified for naturalisation after five or more years’ residence in the UK. Grants of citizenship following marriage to a British citizen fell by 13% (-3,925).

Table 6: Grants by reason and refusals of citizenship applications

Year	Total decisions	Total grants	Residence	Marriage	Children	Other	Refusals and withdrawals
2019	166,874	159,380	83,773	29,779	35,201	10,627	7,494
2020	136,756	130,568	69,769	25,854	28,099	6,846	6,188
Change: latest year	-30,118	-28,812	-14,004	-3925	-7,102	-3,781	-1,306
Percentage change	-18%	-18%	-17%	-13%	-20%	-36%	-17%

Source: Citizenship detailed datasets – Cit_D02
Notes:

1. ‘Other grounds’ 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.

4.3 The impact of COVID-19

The Home Office published a separate report on 28 May 2020, which provided a statistical overview of COVID-19 impacts on the immigration system through to the end of April 2020. However, there have been further changes visible in the period to the end of 2020.

There were 60,867 applications for British citizenship in the fourth quarter of 2020, 43% higher than in the same quarter in 2019. This large rise, in combination with the 9% rise in the third quarter, almost completely counteracted the 43% fall in the second quarter – and overall applications for British citizenship were 2% lower in 2020 compared to the previous year. The increase in the fourth quarter was driven by applications from EU nationals (26,569) which were more than double the number in 2019 (11,393).

There were 39,524 grants of citizenship in the fourth quarter, 8% fewer than a year earlier. The reduction in grants in earlier quarters was due to the need to create capacity for expanded home working, for example providing equipment to case working staff and setting up a remote working model.

In January and February 2020, there had been more grants of British citizenship than the same months in 2019, however in March, there were around a sixth fewer grants (down 16%) than in 2019 and the number of grants fell significantly in April to 2,291, 81% fewer than April 2019. The number of grants started to recover in the following months, grants in May were 55% lower than 2019, and in June were 37% lower.

Grants were closer to 2019 numbers by October (5% fewer than October 2019) and November (6% fewer), although in December numbers were 14% lower.

Figure 5: Grants of British citizenship, by month, 2019 and 2020

Source: Citizenship detailed datasets Cit_D02 and underlying datasets

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.

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 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

Some current residence documents will no longer be valid after 30 June 2021. Applications received before 1 January 2021 are still being processed. The EU Settlement Scheme enables EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens, 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 allows EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who are resident in the UK to obtain, free of charge, settled status or pre-settled status in the UK. Find out more about what settled and pre-settled status means.

EEA and Swiss nationals have freedom of movement throughout the EEA. Non-EEA nationals who are dependants of EEA national residents in the UK can share their residence if they satisfy certain conditions. See the user guide for details.

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 before the end of the Transition period on 31 December 2020.

After 12 November 2015, a person applying for citizenship who is claiming to have permanent residence as an EEA national, or the family member of an EEA national, has been required to provide a permanent residence card or a document certifying permanent residence as evidence that they meet the requirement to be free of immigration time restrictions. These rule changes, along with EEA nationals’ response to perceived uncertainty following the 2016 EU referendum, are 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 GOV.UK.

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 2020, the Home Office published the ‘Migrant journey: 2019 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 tables
• Citizenship summary tables
• Detailed Citizenship datasets
• European Economic Area (EEA) tables

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