National statistics

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

Published 23 February 2023

‘Immigration system statistics, year ending December 2022’ contents page.

This is not the latest release. View latest release.

Data relate to the calendar year 2022 and all comparisons are with the year 2019 (unless indicated otherwise), reflecting a comparison with the period prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Year ending comparisons that follow will include impacts resulting from the restrictions in place during this period of the pandemic. All data include dependents, unless indicated otherwise.

1. Extension of temporary stay in the UK

There were 571,815 decisions on applications to extend a person’s stay in the UK (including both main applicants and dependants) in 2022, 86% more than in 2019 prior to the pandemic. Of these, 98% (561,354) were granted.

Table 1: Grants by reason^1,2 and refusals of extensions of temporary stay in the UK, 2019, 2021, and 2022

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
2021	403,249	395,157	190,042	35,154	134,036	35,925	8,092
2022	571,815	561,354	321,780	56,280	135,960	47,334	10,461
Change: 2019/2022	+264,816	+268,791	+211,782	+11,057	+21,681	+24,271	-3,975
Percentage change	+86%	+92%	+193%	+24%	+19%	+105%	-28%

Source: Extensions – Exe_D01
Notes:

1. 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 there was a total of 19,912 such extensions granted, including dependants.
2. ‘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.

1.1 Extensions for work

There were almost three times (+193%) as many extensions for work granted by the Home Office in 2022 compared to the year 2019 prior to the pandemic with 321,780 extensions granted. Work was the most common route in which people extended.

Within the work category:

• ‘Worker’ (Skilled work) extensions - 192,753 granted, with 48% of main applicants in the Human Health and Social Work Activities sector; Sponsorship table CoS_D01 provides numbers in different industry sectors.
• ‘Other work visas and exemptions’ - 104,736 granted, mainly reflecting 86,785 extensions granted in the new Graduate category; the Graduate route, introduced on 1 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 in 2022.
• ‘Investor, business development and talent’ category – includes 3,574 grants in 2022 under the Global talent route, an increase of 1,525 (+74%) on 2021.

1.2 Extensions for family reasons

There were 135,960 ‘family-related’ grants of extensions in 2022, 19% more than in 2019, prior to the pandemic. In 2022, there were 77,219 grants in the Family Life (10-year) route, 15% (+10,222) higher than in 2019. There were 57,633 grants in the Family: Partner route, 23% (+10,870) higher than in 2019.

Pakistani, Indian and Nigerian nationals accounted for two in five (40%) ‘family-related’ extensions granted, the same proportion as 2019.

1.3 Extensions for study

There were also 56,280 ‘study-related’ extensions granted in 2022, 24% higher 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 over two fifths (41% or 23,320).

1.4 Extensions for other reasons

There were 47,334 extensions granted in the ‘Other’ category in 2022, 32% more than in 2021, and 105% more than in 2019. The ‘Other’ category includes:

• the new Ukraine Schemes, both the Ukraine Extension Scheme and the Ukraine Family Scheme extensions, which account for around half (48% or 22,864) of grants of extension in the ‘Other’ category; further information on Ukrainians arriving in the UK this year can be found in the separate chapter Statistics on Ukrainians in the UK.
• 3,454 extensions in the British Nationals (Overseas) (BN(O)) route in 2022; the BN(O) route accounted for 7% of extension grants in the ‘Other’ category in 2022; further information on arrivals with a BN(O) visa can be found in the How many people come to the UK topic
• 14,664 extensions granted in the Private Life category, accounting for over a quarter (31%) of grants of extension in the ‘Other’ category.

1.5 Long-term trends in grants of an extension

Figure 1: Grants of extensions, by reason¹, 2010 to 2022

Source: Extensions – Exe_D01
Notes:

1. ‘Other’ excludes extensions granted to individuals who are unable to travel home because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to COVID-19 (116,684 in 2020)

Figure 1 shows that overall numbers of extensions granted were broadly steady between 2010 and 2013, between 261,810 (in 2012) and 309,475 (in 2010). Extension grants dropped from 306,598 in 2013 to 199,256 in 2016, but had been steadily increasing prior to the pandemic reaching 292,563 in 2019 before falling again in 2020 to 226,286. In 2021 and 2022 extension grants have rapidly increased to their highest levels, 395,157 grants in 2021 and 561,354 in 2022. Grants of extensions in the ‘Study’ category decreased between 2010 and 2016 largely due to changes in policy, and have since remained stable between 30,557 and 56,280 in the following years up to 2022. Extensions in all other categories have greatly increased, particularly in the ‘Work’ category, which had 126,943 grants in 2010, which dropped as low as 78,569 in 2016, but has since risen to 321,780 in 2022. In the ‘Work’ category, the increase in extensions since the pandemic has been primarily driven by the requirements from the Human Health and Social Work sectors, and extension grants in the new Graduate work route.

1.6 Extensions as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic

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 9 April it was announced that this would be extended to cover visas expiring up until 30 September 2021. Home Office Management Information indicates that there was a total of 19,912 extensions granted to health workers and care workers and their dependants, under these policies.

2. Settlement

There were 133,451 decisions on applications for settlement in the UK in 2022, 24% more than in 2021, and 41% more than 2019. Of these, 99% (131,728) were granted.

In 2022, there were increases in settlement grants in the ‘asylum’, ‘family’, and ‘other’ categories when compared to 2019. Grants to applicants who had been in the UK for work reasons are effectively the same compared with 2019.

There were 32,172 grants of settlement for ‘family’ reasons, 6% lower than in 2021, but 25% more than in 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 has 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 4% higher than in 2019
• the number of people granted settlement who had been in the UK for ‘other’ reasons, primarily long residence or discretionary leave, was 26% higher than in 2019 (19,097, up from 15,195). This is not equivalent to the ‘Other’ category of leave group outlined in table 2, which also includes ‘Private Life’ and ‘BN(O)’ routes, and a small number of cases where the category of grant has not been recorded
• there was an increase in settlement granted for asylum-related and resettlement reasons in 2022 to 47,946, more than two and a half times (+169%) the number in 2019; these changes will reflect patterns of grants in refugee status in earlier years; the ‘asylum’ category accounted for over a third (36%) of settlement grants in 2022 compared to less than one fifth (19%) in 2019 prior to the pandemic

Table 2: Grants by reason^1,2,3 and refusals of settlement in the UK, 2019, 2021, and 2022

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
2021	107,772	106,123	31,974	25,217	34,315	14,617	1,649
2022	133,451	131,728	32,101	47,946	32,172	19,509	1,723
Change: 2019/2022	+38,994	+40,289	-117	+30,143	+6,407	+3,856	-1,295
Percentage change	+41%	+44%	-0.4%	+169%	+25%	+25%	-43%

Source: Settlement - Se_D02
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, 2010 to 2022

Source: Settlement - Se_D02
Notes:

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

Figure 2 shows the number of settlement grants fell from 241,192 in 2010 to 60,670 in 2016 but have since risen again, reaching a total of 131,728 in 2022.

Compared to 2010, grants of settlement for ‘work’ reasons have decreased, from 84,347 to 32,101. Grants for ‘family’ reasons also fell across this period, from 69,228 to 32,172. In contrast, grants to people previously granted asylum or resettlement increased by almost a factor of ten from 4,931 to 47,946, with large rises from 2020, although these partly reflect a rise in ‘asylum’ grants around 2015 and 2016. Grants for ‘other’ reasons (not relating to work, family or asylum) decreased to less than a quarter its number in 2010, 82,686 to 19,509, though this was not a steady decrease and has been largely stable over the last decade, between 25,678 grants in 2018 at its highest and 8,885 in 2020 at the lowest. 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 quarterly statistics on the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

The latest quarterly statistics show that 7 million applications to the EU Settlement Scheme had been received up to 31 December 2022, of which 6.9 million had been concluded.

Of the 7 million total applications made up to 31 December 2022, an estimated 6 million people have applied to the scheme, of which 5.6 million applicants had obtained a grant of status. Of the 6 million people applying to the scheme, 881,040 (15%) were repeat applicants.

It is estimated that a total of 5,591,000 EEA and 463,100 non-EEA nationals had applied to the EUSS up to 31 December 2022 (non-EEA nationals may apply as family members).

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 which 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.

Statistics of decisions on applications for residence documents pertaining to EEA citizens and qualifying non-EEA family members in the UK under EU law can be found for 2004 to 2022 in tables EEA_01 and EEA_02 and for 2006 to 2022 in the form of a detailed dataset.

4. Citizenship

4.1 Applications for British citizenship

There were 190,741 applications for British citizenship in 2022, 9% more than in 2019, the last year prior to the pandemic.

There were 46,661 applications for citizenship by EU nationals, 6% fewer than in 2019. There were 144,080 applications for citizenship made by non-EU nationals, 15% more than in 2019.

Figure 3 shows that the number of non-EU applications had remained at a similar level since 2014 before increasing in mid-2021, whilst EU applications increased up to mid-2021, but have decreased since then. EU nationals accounted for a quarter (24%) of all citizenship applications in 2022 compared to 12% in 2016. Increases in citizenship applications from EU nationals since 2016 will include people seeking to confirm their status in the UK following the EU referendum and the UK’s exit from the EU.

Figure 3: Number of applications for British citizenship from EU and non-EU nationals^1,2, 2013 to 2022

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 high number of 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 175,972 grants of British citizenship in 2022, 10% 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 4: Number of grants of British citizenship for EU and non-EU nationals, 2013 to 2022

Source: Citizenship detailed datasets - Cit_D02

A quarter (26%, or 45,539) of the grants of British citizenship in 2022 were to EU citizens, 2,928, 6% fewer than in 2019. Italian nationals were the top EU nationality granted citizenship in 2022 (8,608), followed by Romanian (6,629), and Polish (5,764) nationals. These 3 nationalities accounted for almost half (46%) of the grants of British citizenship to EU nationals in 2022.

There were 130,433 grants of British citizenship to former non-EU citizens in 2022, 19,520 or 28% more than in 2019. The top non-EU nationalities granted British citizenship in 2022 were Indian (15,689), Pakistani (14,947), and Nigerian (8,713) nationals. These 3 nationalities accounted for almost a third (30%) of all grants to non-EU nationals in 2022.

Table 3: Grants by reason¹ and refusals of citizenship applications, 2019 and 2022

Year	Total decisions	Total grants	Naturalisation (Residence and Marriage)	Registration (Children and Other)	Refusals and withdrawals
2019	166,093	159,380	113,552	45,828	6,713
2022	179,480	175,972	127,353	48,619	3,508
Change: 2019/2022	+13,387	+16,592	+13,801	+2,791	-3,205
Percentage change	+8%	+10%	+12%	+6%	-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.

Browse: Visas and immigration has 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.

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’.

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 both 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 and grants for British citizenship.

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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