National statistics

How many people continue their stay in the UK?

Published 21 May 2020

Back to ‘Immigration statistics, year ending March 2020’ content page.

This is not the latest release. View latest release.

Data in this section relate to the year ending March 2020 and all comparisons are with the year ending March 2019, unless indicated otherwise. A more detailed annual summary can be found in ‘Immigration statistics, year ending June 2019 second edition’.

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 and quarterly experimental statistics on the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), available on GOV.UK. The latest quarterly statistics was published on 14 May 2020 (for the period up to 31 March 2020) and the most recent monthly summary (for April 2020) was published on 21 May 2020.

1. Extension of temporary stay in the UK

There were 367,827 decisions on applications to extend a person’s stay in the UK (including dependants) in the year ending March 2020, 32% more than the year ending March 2019. The largest contribution to this increase was from extensions to leave provided to Chinese nationals who were unable to return home due to coronavirus restrictions (included in the Other category).

Of the total extensions, 353,712 were grants, representing an overall grant rate of 96%.

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

Year ending	Total decisions	Total grants	Work	Study	Family	Other	Total refusals
March 2019	277,713	256,719	88,704	43,890	99,742	24,383	20,994
March 2020	367,827	353,712	114,371	45,348	110,489	83,504	14,115
Change (latest year)	+90,114	+96,993	+25,667	+1,458	+10,747	+59,121	-6,879
Percentage change	+32%	+38%	+29%	+3%	+11%	+242%	-33%

Source: Extensions – Exe_D01

Notes:

1. The latest increases in family extensions are likely to reflect a longer residence eligibility period before it is possible to apply to stay in the UK permanently (settlement), and a requirement to complete further periods of temporary leave, both implemented under family Immigration Rules from 9 July 2012. The rules in place before 9 July 2012 allowed spouses to apply for settlement after completion of a single two-year ‘probationary period’. Further details on the rule changes are in the user guide.
2. ‘Other’ includes extensions granted to individuals who are unable to travel home because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to coronavirus (COVID-19). Also includes cases where the category of grant has not been recorded.
3. These data do not include extensions granted to NHS, frontline health and care workers whose visas are due to expire before 1 October 2020, as this was only announced on 31 March 2020.

Work was the most common route in which people extended with 114,371 extensions in the work category in the year ending March 2020, a 29% increase compared with the previous year. The majority (82%) were extensions in Skilled (Tier 2) work categories. Indian nationals were granted the highest number of all work-related extensions during the year (43% of the total, and reflects the higher proportion (51%) of Tier 2 visas issued to Indian nationals).

There were 110,489 family-related grants of extensions in the year ending March 2020, an 11% increase compared to the previous year. Pakistani, Nigerian and Indian nationals account for two in five (40%) family-related extensions granted over the year.

Study-related extensions granted in the year ending March 2020 increased by 3% to 45,348. The nationalities most likely to extend their stay for further study in the UK are broadly consistent with the nationalities granted Entry clearance visas, with Chinese nationals accounting for over half (59% or 26,707) of study-related extensions granted during the year.

Grants in the Other category more than trebled to 83,504 in the year ending March 2020. This included 63,040 extensions granted to Chinese nationals who are unable to travel home because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to coronavirus (COVID-19).

The increase in family-related extensions reflects the introduction of the Family Life (10-year) route and a longer residence eligibility period before it is possible to apply to stay in the UK permanently (settlement). Individuals on family routes are required to obtain an extension every 2.5 years until they are eligible to apply for settlement. These changes were introduced as part of the new family Immigration Rules from 9 July 2012.

1.1 The effects of COVID-19 on extensions

The Home Office is publishing a separate report on 28 May 2020, which will provide a statistical overview of COVID-19 impacts on the immigration system through into April. However, some changes were already visible in the period to the end of March 2020.

In the first quarter of this year (January to March 2020) the number of people granted an extension of stay increased by 95% compared to the same period in 2019.

In this first quarter 66,826 of those granted an extension of stay were in the ‘Other’ category which includes individuals who were unable to leave the UK because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to COVID-19.

2. Settlement

There were 95,120 decisions on applications for settlement in the UK from non-EEA nationals in the year ending March 2020, a 2% increase on the year ending March 2019. Of these, 92,031 (97%) resulted in a grant.

Trends in numbers applying for settlement will in part reflect policies and patterns of migration some years earlier. In the latest year there were increases in settlement grants for:

• family reasons (up 45% to 26,087), reflecting family rule changes in July 2012 that increased the qualifying period for settlement from 2 to 5 years; 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’)
• skilled (Tier 2) work, up 15% to 21,820 and High Value (Tier 1) work up 53% to 6,703 – there were increases in Tier 2 and Tier 1 visas and extensions granted around 2013 and 2014, so the recent increase in work-related settlement is likely to reflect this cohort becoming eligible for settlement

There were decreases in settlement grants following a grant of leave to stay after an asylum claim (down 9% to 20,099), and to those previously in the UK for other reasons, primarily long residence or discretionary leave (down 39% to 14,257).

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

Year ending	Total decisions	Total grants	Work	Asylum	Family	Other	Refusals
March 2019	92,974	89,596	25,934	22,168	17,937	23,557	3,378
March 2020	95,120	92,031	31,588	20,099	26,087	14,257	3,089
Change: latest 12 months	+2,146	+2,435	+5,654	-2,069	+8,150	-9,300	-289
Percentage change	+2%	+3%	+22%	-9%	+45%	-39%	-9%

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. ‘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 March 2011 to March 2020

Source: Settlement table se_02_q

Notes:

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

In May 2020 the Home Office published the Migrant Journey: 2019 report’, which explores changes in non-European Economic Area (non-EEA) migrants’ visa and leave status as they journey through the UK’s immigration system.

This analysis shows that of all migrants granted settlement in 2019:

• 29% had originally entered the UK on a Study visa
• 25% on a Work visa
• 21% on a Family visa
• 6% on an entry clearance visa for immediate settlement
• 3% on a Dependant joining or accompanying visa
• 15% came to the UK for other reasons

2.1 The effects of COVID-19 on settlement

The Home Office is publishing a separate report on 28 May 2020, which will provide a statistical overview of COVID-19 impacts on the immigration system through into April.

In the first quarter of this year (January to March 2020) the number of people granted settlement increased by 3% compared to the same quarter in the previous year. It is unlikely that this increase is related to the effects of COVID-19, as settlement figures have been steadily increasing over the past 3 years, and applications are made predominantly by those already in the UK.

3. EEA nationals and their family members

Under European law, EEA nationals and their dependants do not currently need to obtain documentation confirming their right of residence in the UK.

EEA nationals only need to apply for a document certifying permanent residence if they want to either apply for British citizenship or sponsor their partner’s visa application under the Immigration Rules.

EEA nationals can apply for registration certificates and documents certifying permanent residence in the UK. Their non-EEA family members can apply for residence and permanent residence cards. These act as confirmation of their right to stay in the UK. There is no requirement to apply for a residence card as a family member but it can help residence card holders to prove their status in certain circumstances.

EEA residence documents – including registration certificates, registration cards, documents certifying permanent residence and permanent residence cards – will not be valid after 31 December 2020. 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 EU Settlement Scheme statistics on a monthly basis, with a more detailed report published quarterly. The latest data show that more than 3.5 million applications were received up to 30 April 2020.

3.1 Registration certificates and registration cards

In the year ending March 2020, there were 44,956 registration certificates issued to EEA nationals and registration cards issued to non-EEA family members, down 53% on the previous year. However, EU nationals and non-EU nationals have seen different trends.

The number issued to EU nationals increased in the period immediately following the referendum on membership of the EU in June 2016. Numbers have fallen since the peak immediately after the referendum and fallen further since the opening of the EU Settlement Scheme in March 2019. The latest year saw an 84% fall to 12,878 (compared with a peak of 82,498 in the year ending September 2017) to a level below that seen before the referendum.

Documents issued to non-EU nationals fell by 36% to 32,078 compared to the previous year. This follows a gradual increase from March 2017 to March 2019.

Figure 2: Number of EEA¹ residence documents issued to EU and non-EU² nationals, years ending March 2011 to March 2020

Source: EEA table ee 02 q

Notes:

1. The EEA consists of the 27 countries of the EU since the UK left on 31st January 2020 plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. See the user guide for a list of countries within the EU.
2. Non-EU includes non-EEA family members of EEA nationals and small numbers of EEA nationals from Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway, and Swiss nationals.

3.2 Documents certifying permanent residence and permanent residence cards

There were 28,402 documents certifying permanent residence and permanent residence cards issued in the year ending March 2020, 71% fewer than the previous year. Since the EU referendum, trends for EU and non-EU nationals have differed.

Although current levels of documents issued to EU nationals remain higher than prior to the EU referendum in 2016 (19,892 in the year to March 2020), numbers have fallen since the peak of 151,521 in the year ending September 2017, with further falls since the opening of the EU Settlement Scheme in March 2019.

Documents issued to non-EU nationals had gradually increased from March 2017 to March 2019 but the number fell by 59% to 8,510 in the year ending March 2020.

Figure 3: Number of EEA¹ permanent residence documents issued to EU and non-EU² nationals, years ending March 2011 and March 2020

Source: EEA table ee 02 q

Notes:

1. The EEA consists of the 27 countries of the EU since the UK left on 31st January 2020 plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. See the user guide for a list of countries within the EU.
2. Non-EU includes non-EEA family members of EEA nationals and small numbers of EEA nationals from Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway, and Swiss nationals.

4. Citizenship

4.1 Applications for British citizenship

There were 165,693 applications for British citizenship in the year to March 2020, 6% fewer than the previous year.

Applications for citizenship by EU nationals fell by 20% compared to the previous year to 44,078. However, EU nationals now account for 27% of all citizenship applications compared with 12% in 2016. Increases in citizenship applications from EU nationals between 2016 and 2019 are likely to reflect more people seeking to confirm their status following the EU referendum.

Applications made by non-EU nationals increased by 1% in the year ending March 2020 to 121,615.

Figure 4: Applications for British citizenship from EU and non-EU nationals^1,2, years ending March 2011 to March 2020

Source: Cit_D01 - Applications for British citizenship

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 163,624 grants of British citizenship in the year ending March 2020, 9% more than the previous year. The most recent peak was in 2013, prior to the change to the English language element of the ‘Life in the UK’ test, when there were 208,095 grants of citizenship. The number of applications, and therefore grants, fell following the change and has remained relatively stable since.

There were 46,030 grants of British citizenship to former EU citizens in 2019. The number has remained relatively stable over the last year but is more than 3.5 times the level prior to the EU referendum in 2016. Polish nationals were the top EU nationality being granted citizenship in the latest year (7,999), followed by Italian (5,871) and Romanian (5,249) nationals.

There were 117,594 grants of British citizenship to former non-EU citizens in the year ending March 2020, an increase of 14% compared to the previous year. The top non-EU nationalities being granted British citizenship were Indian (15,800), Pakistani (14,043) and Nigerian (9,231) nationals. These three nationalities accounted for a third (33%) of all grants to non-EU nationals.

Of the grants of British citizenship in the last year, more than half (51%) 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 increased by 37% to 32,446.

Table 3: Outcomes of citizenship applications, by category¹

Year ending	Total decisions	Total grants	Residence	Marriage	Children	Other	Refusals & withdrawals
March 2019	158,661	149,601	81,777	23,605	34,665	9,554	9,060
March 2020	171,046	163,624	82,818	32,446	37,496	10,864	7,422
Change: latest year	+12,385	+14,023	+1,041	+8,841	+2,831	+1,310	-1,638
Percentage change	+8%	+9%	+1%	+37%	+8%	+14%	-18%

Source: Cit_D02 - Grants of British citizenship

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 Citizenship table cz 07 and the user guide for more details.

4.3 The effects of COVID-19 on citizenship

The Home Office is publishing a separate report on 28 May 2020, which will provide a statistical overview of COVID-19 impacts on the immigration system through into April.

There has been no discernible effect on citizenship applications or grants in the year ending March 2020 due to COVID-19. The impact of travel restrictions may be smaller on citizenship as the overwhelming majority of applications are made by those already in the UK. It is likely that there will be a more significant impact on the attendance of citizenship ceremonies, which many local councils have suspended indefinitely. Under normal circumstances those granted British citizenship are required to book a ceremony within 3 months, this requirement has been extended to 6 months due COVID-19.

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

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.

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.

EEA residence documents, including registration certificates, registration cards, documents certifying permanent residence and permanent residence cards, will not be valid after 31 December 2020. 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.

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 2019, the Home Office published the ‘Migrant journey: 2018 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

We welcome your feedback

If you have any comments or suggestions for the development of this report, please provide feedback by emailing MigrationStatsEnquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please include the words ‘PUBLICATION FEEDBACK’ in the subject of your email.

See section 7 of the ‘About this release’ section for more details.