Accredited official statistics

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

Updated 26 August 2021

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Data relate to the year ending June 2021 and all comparisons are with the year ending June 2020, 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 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 reflect the restrictions in place during this period of the pandemic.

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 327,211 decisions on applications to extend a person’s stay in the UK (including dependants) in the year ending June 2021, 27% more than in the year ending June 2020, and 15% more than the year ending June 2019. 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, 320,436 were grants, representing an overall grant rate of 98%.

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

Year ending	Total decisions	Total grants	Work	Study	Family	Other	Total refusals
June 2019	285,384	266,845	95,414	43,325	103,809	24,297	18,539
June 2020	257,761	247,379	94,408	43,195	93,366	16,410	10,382
June 2021	327,211	320,436	135,305	37,447	119,693	27,991	6,775
Change: latest 12 months	+69,450	+73,057	+40,897	-5,748	+26,327	+11,581	-3,607
Percentage change	+27%	+30%	+43%	-13%	+28%	+71%	-35%

Source: Extensions – Exe_D01
Notes:

1. Includes extensions granted to NHS, frontline health and care workers whose visas are due to expire before 1 October 2021. Home Office Management Information indicates that up to the end of June 2021, there were 16,646 such extensions granted, including dependants.
2. ‘Other’ excludes extensions granted to individuals who are unable to travel home because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to COVID-19 (108,418 in the year ending June 2020, and 8,266 in the year ending June 2021). ‘Other’ includes cases where the category of grant has not been recorded.

Work was the most common route in which people extended, with 135,305 extensions granted in the year ending June 2021, 43% more than in the previous year. The increase mainly reflected an increase in extensions granted to Skilled workers, up 51% (or 38,956) to 115,599. The High value category included 1,879 grants in the new Global talent route in the year ending June 2021. The largest number of work-related extensions were granted to Indian nationals in the year (43% of the total).

There were 119,693 family-related grants of extensions in the year ending June 2021, 28% more than in the previous year. This included a 48% (or 19,242) increase in the Partner route and a 12% (or 6,511) increase in the Family Life (10-year route). Pakistani, Nigerian and Indian nationals accounted for nearly two in five (37%) family-related extensions granted.

There were also 37,447 study-related extensions granted in the year ending June 2021, 13% fewer than in the previous year. 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 over a quarter (26% or 9,690).

Grants in the Other category increased by 71% to 27,991 in the year ending June 2021. 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 (see below). The increase in the Other category reflects 12,321 extensions granted, including dependants, in the new BN(O) route.

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 the 20 November, it was announced that this had been extended to cover visas expiring between 1 October 2020 and 31 March 2021. On the 09 April it was announced that this would be extended to cover visas expiring up until 30 September 2021. Up to the end of June 2021, there was a total of 16,646 extensions granted to health workers and care workers and their dependants, under these policies.

In addition to those granted extensions under existing policies, a new 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. There were 116,684 COVID-19 related extensions granted in 2020, 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 Covid-related visa extensions.

Further analysis from the annual Migrant Journey report showed that around 54,000 individuals were granted a COVID-19-related extension in 2020. This differs from the total number of COVID-19 extensions, as some people have been granted more than one extension. The visas held by those who were granted Covid-related extensions in 2020 comprised:

• Visit visa holders – 53%
• Study visas – 20%
• Work visas – 13%
• Other routes – 15% (including those where the previous route was unknown)

Figure 1: Extensions of leave granted¹ in the UK, by month, 2019, 2020 and 2021

Source: Extensions – Exe_D01
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.

Figure 1 shows that the shows that the number of grants in 2020 were similar to levels in 2019, until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. From April to September 2020, grants were much lower than the same months in 2019 but began to recover from September 2020.

Grants in 2021 were higher than the same months in the previous two years. This subsequent recovery in numbers may in part be 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.

2. Settlement

There were 108,773 decisions on applications for settlement in the UK in the year ending June 2021, 26% more than in the year ending June 2020. Of these, 106,876 (98%) resulted in a grant.

In the latest year, there were increases in settlement grants in all broad categories.

There was an increase in settlement granted for asylum-related reasons, up 54% to 34,670. This reflects many of those who were granted refugee status in the UK around the time of the 2015/16 ‘migration crisis’, which saw larger numbers of asylum seekers claim in the UK (and in Europe in greater numbers), now qualifying for settlement. The asylum category accounted for almost a third (32%) of settlement grants in year ending June 2021.

There were also increases for:

• Family reasons (up 22% to 28,908)
• Skilled (formerly Tier 2) work, which increased by 30% to 22,964
• Those previously in the UK for other reasons, primarily long residence or discretionary leave, were 9% higher at 12,565. This follows a sharp fall prior to the onset of the pandemic.

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

Year ending	Total decisions	Total grants	Work	Asylum	Family	Other	Refusals
June 2019	89,097	86,079	27,907	16,621	20,096	21,455	3,018
June 2020	86,108	83,626	25,785	22,541	23,755	11,545	2,482
June 2021	108,773	106,876	30,733	34,670	28,908	12,565	1,897
Change: latest 12 months	+22,665	+23,250	+4,948	+12,129	+5,153	+1,020	-585
Percentage change	+26%	+28%	+19%	+54%	+22%	+9%	-24%

Source: Settlement table se_02_q
Notes:

1. 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.
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, years ending June 2012 to June 2021

Source: Settlement table se_02_q
Notes:

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

Figure 2 shows the number of settlement grants decreased from 141,000 in the year ending June 2012 to a recent low of 58,000 in the year ending June 2017 but have subsequently risen to 107,000 in the year ending June 2021. Since the year ending June 2012, grants for work reasons have decreased, from 69,000 to 31,000. Grants for family reasons also fell across this period, from 48,000 to 29,000. In contrast, grants for reasons of asylum increased from 12,000 to 35,000. Grants for ‘other’ reasons (not relating to work, family or asylum) saw relatively little change but were slightly higher, rising from 11,000 to 13,000 over the period. Trends in numbers applying for settlement will in part reflect policies and patterns of migration some years earlier.

Figure 3: Grants of settlement in the UK, by month, 2019, 2020 and 2021

Source: Settlement table se_02_q

Figure 3 shows that the number of settlement grants 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.

From May 2020, the number of grants generally started to recover again as caseworkers became able to fully operate remotely whilst a minimal office presence processed physical documents within ‘Covid secure’ parameters.

From September 2020, grants of settlement were higher compared with the same month the previous year. Grants in the period January to June 2021 were 63% higher than in the same period in 2020 and 32% higher than in the same period in 2019.

3. EEA nationals and their family members

Since 30 March 2019, EU and EEA nationals resident in the UK, along with their non-EEA 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), available on GOV.UK.

The latest data show that 6.09 million applications to the EU Settlement Scheme had been received up to 31 July 2021, of which 58,200 were received after 30 June 2021.

3.1 Documents issued

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.

Documents issued under European law are no longer valid as evidence of a right of residence in the UK unless a application to the EUSS was made on or before 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.

In the year ending June 2021, there were a total of 31,799 decisions in applications for EEA residence documents, 53% fewer than the previous 12 months. This included 12,450 registration certificates and registration cards issued, and 6,305 documents certifying permanent residence and permanent residence cards issued.

Table 3: Decisions on applications for residence documents pertaining to EEA citizens in the UK^1,2

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 2020	68,066	29,622	18,700
June 2021	31,799	12,450	6,305
Change: latest 12 months	-36,267	-17,172	-12,395
Percentage change	-53%	-58%	-66%

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 European Economic Area.
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 European Economic Area.

4. Citizenship

4.1 Applications for British citizenship

There were 200,177 applications for British citizenship in the year ending June 2021, 35% more than in the year ending June 2020.

Applications for citizenship by EU nationals rose by 83% compared to the previous year, to 74,384. Figure 4 shows that the number of non-EU applications has decreased since 2012, whilst EU applications have increased. EU nationals now account for more than a third (37%) 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 and the UK’s exit from the EU.

Applications made by non-EU nationals rose by 16% in the year ending June 2021 to 125,793, although the trend in non-EU citizenship applications has been broadly stable since 2014.

There were 45,257 applications for British citizenship in the second quarter of 2021, 106% higher than in the same quarter in 2020. The higher number in the second quarter of 2021 was largely due to applications from EU nationals (16,861) which were 166% higher than in the second quarter of 2020 (6,349), an increase reflecting the lower numbers in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Figure 4: Number of applications for British citizenship from EU and non-EU nationals^1,2, years ending June 2012 to June 2021

Source: Citizenship detailed dataset Cit_D01
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 147,369 grants of British citizenship in the year ending June 2021, 4% more than the previous year. This was due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic response and comes after a period of relative stability since 2014. Prior to this, a peak of 208,095 in 2013 occurred prior to a change to the English language element of the ‘Life in the UK’ test.

There were 50,902 grants of British citizenship to former EU citizens in the year ending June 2021, 11,448 or 29% more than the previous year. Italian nationals were the top EU nationality granted citizenship in the latest year (7,694), followed by Romanian (7,198) and Polish (6,749) nationals.

There were 96,467 grants of British citizenship to former non-EU citizens in the year ending June 2021, 5,975 or 6% fewer than the previous year. The top non-EU nationalities granted British citizenship were Pakistani (11,038), Indian (10,374) and Nigerian (7,655) nationals. These three nationalities accounted for a just under a third (30%) of all grants to non-EU nationals.

Of the grants of British citizenship in the last year, more than half (57%) were to those who qualified for naturalisation after five or more years’ residence in the UK. Grants of naturalisation by residence rose by 8% to 52,852 for former non-EU citizens, but grants to former EU citizens rose by 47% to 31,603.

Total grants of citizenship following marriage to a British citizen fell by 13% to 25,293 including a fall of 17% to 18,376 for former non-EU citizens. The number of grants of citizenship for registration of children fell by 22% to 18,610 for former non-EU citizens, and rose by 20% to 10,979 for former EU citizens.

Table 4: Grants by reason¹ and refusals of citizenship applications

Year ending	Total decisions	Total grants	Residence	Marriage	Children	Other	Refusals and withdrawals
June 2020	147,823	141,896	70,529	29,207	32,878	9,282	5,927
June 2021	152,989	147,369	84,455	25,293	29,589	8,032	5,620
Change: latest 12 months	+5,166	+5,473	+13,926	-3,914	-3,289	-1,250	-307
Percentage change	+3%	+4%	+20%	-13%	-10%	-13%	-5%

Source: Citizenship detailed datasets – Cit_D02
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.

On 28 May 2020 the Home Office published a statistical overview of COVID-19 impacts on the immigration system through to the end of April 2020, including citizenship processing.

Since that time, there have been further changes. As shown in Figure 5, the number of citizenship grants fell significantly in April 2020 to 2,291, 81% fewer than April 2019. The number of grants started to recover in the following months before further large decreases in January and February 2021, and then a subsequent recovery in the number of citizenship grants in March 2021, the first month in which there was a higher number of grants than in the same month the previous year since the pandemic began. The recovery has continued in April, May, and June 2021, the numbers of grants being comparable to those months in 2019.

Figure 5: Grants of British citizenship, by month, 2019, 2020 and 2021

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.

Before 2021, due to European Union (EU) freedom of movement principles, 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

Some current residence documents are no longer 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. Under EU law, non-EEA nationals who were dependants of EEA national residents in the UK could share their residence if they satisfied 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 was relying on permanent residence as an EEA national, or 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 2021, the Home Office published the ‘Migrant journey: 2020 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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