United States
In 2025, 20,000 people of American nationality moved to the UK for a year or more, on a visa, by the ONS's first estimate.
How UK records count nationals of the United States in 2025.
UK counts
These counts can overlap. Never add them together.
- Moved to the UK
- 20,000 people
- American nationality, on a visa, for a year or more. Excludes asylum and resettlement routes, except the Ukraine and BN(O) schemes.
- Asylum claims
- 159 people
- People named on initial claims, main applicants and family members. Counted by claim date, not arrival date.
- Small boat arrivals
- 1 person detected
- People detected arriving by small boat across the English Channel. Figures from January 2025 can still be revised.
- Resettled or relocated
- 0 people
- People who came through UK resettlement schemes, including the Afghan schemes, by date of arrival. Not a visa route.
Sources (5)
- 1 ONS, Long-term international migration, year ending December 2025
- Table 3e of the dataset, nationalities outside the EU+, on a visa. The ONS publishes nationality estimates for a few nationalities only.
- Published 21 May 2026. Official statistics in development.
- 2 Home Office, entry clearance visa datasets, year ending June 2026
- Entry clearance visas granted, main applicants and family members together, by date of decision.
- Published 27 August 2026. Accredited official statistics.
- 3 Home Office, asylum claims dataset (Asy_D01)
- Initial claims, main applicants and family members, by date of claim.
- Published 27 August 2026. Accredited official statistics.
- 4 Home Office, illegal entry routes dataset
- Small boat arrivals by nationality, people detected, calendar years from 2018.
- Published 27 August 2026. Official statistics.
- 5 Home Office, resettlement dataset (Res_D02)
- Res_D02, people resettled or relocated, by date of arrival in the UK.
- Published 27 August 2026.
Visa routes5 routes · 2025
A visa gives permission to come. It is not an arrival.
Work visas11,470 grants
Includes family members of workers, and seasonal and other short work visas.
Study visas16,808 grants
Includes family members of students, and short study visas.
Family visas3,409 grants
The family route, including refugee family reunion. Not the family members counted in work or study.
Safe route visas15 grants
The BN(O) route and the Ukraine schemes.
Other visas1,177 grants
All other visas, including EU Settlement Scheme permits and visas for resettled refugees.
Selected visa routes31,702 grants
Added here Work, study, family and safe route grants added up here, 11,470 + 16,808 + 3,409 + 15. Excludes other visas. Not all visas, and not arrivals.
History
Showing Moved to the UK, ONS estimate, people.
American nationality, on a visa, for a year or more. Excludes asylum and resettlement routes, except the Ukraine and BN(O) schemes.
| Year | People |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 18,000 |
| 2022 | 18,000 |
| 2023 | 19,000 |
| 2024 | 18,000 |
| 2025 | 20,000 first estimate |
Sources (1)
ONS, Long-term international migration, year ending December 2025
Country context
These describe country populations, not people who moved to the UK. They do not explain migration.
Population people
The UK figure is the World Bank's, so both countries come from one source. The ONS estimates the UK population at 69,483,939 on 30 June 2025 (published 1 October 2026).
GDP per person constant 2021 international dollars
GDP at purchasing power parity, not earnings or household income.
Sources (3)
- 1 World Bank, World Development Indicators, series SP.POP.TOTL
- The record for United States of America. Latest observation in the file, 2025. Rounded for display.
- Unit as published, people.
- 2 World Bank, World Development Indicators, series SP.DYN.LE00.IN
- The record for United States of America. Latest observation in the file, 2024. Rounded for display.
- Unit as published, years.
- 3 World Bank, World Development Indicators, series NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.KD
- The record for United States of America. Latest observation in the file, 2025. Rounded for display.
- Unit as published, constant 2021 international dollars.
More contextLiteracy, unemployment and urban population
Adult literacy people aged 15 and over, %
United States
Not published
UK
Not published
Unemployment share of the labour force, %
Sources (2)
- 1 World Bank, World Development Indicators, series SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate).
- The record for United States of America. Latest observation in the file, 2025. Rounded for display.
- Unit as published, % of total labour force.
- 2 World Bank, World Development Indicators, series SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
- Urban population (% of total population).
- The record for United States of America. Latest observation in the file, 2025. Rounded for display.
- Unit as published, % of total population.
ReligionsUnited States and the UK
These records describe residents in each country. They do not show the religions of people who moved to the UK.
Not directly comparable. Different sources, years, units and categories.
United States
2014 estimate · CIA World Factbook [1]
- Protestant46.5%
- Roman Catholic20.8%
- Jewish1.9%
- Church of Jesus Christ1.6%
- Other Christian0.9%
- Muslim0.9%
- Jehovah's Witness0.8%
- Buddhist0.7%
- Hindu0.7%
- Other1.8%
- Unaffiliated22.8%
- Don't know/refused0.6%
UK
2011 census · UNdata [2]
- Buddhist261,584 people
- Christian37,583,962 people
- Hindu835,418 people
- Jewish269,568 people
- Muslim2,786,635 people
- Sikh432,429 people
- Other262,750 people
- No Religion16,221,509 people
- Not Specified4,528,323 people
Sources (2)
- 1 CIA World Factbook, People and Society, Religions (archived JSON)
- The Factbook text reads Protestant 46.5%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Jewish 1.9%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.6%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 0.9%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, Buddhist 0.7%, Hindu 0.7%, other 1.8%, unaffiliated 22.8%, don't know/refused 0.6% (2014 est.)
- Archive snapshot, 2026 archive. Shares as the Factbook gives them.
- 2 UNdata, Demographic Statistics Database, population by religion (table 28)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Census - de jure - complete tabulation, Final figure, complete. Counts of people, total area, both sexes.
- Census year 2011. UNdata lists it as received in 2014.
Questions people ask
How many people of American nationality moved to the UK in 2025?
In 2025, 20,000 people of American nationality moved to the UK for a year or more, on a visa, by the ONS's first estimate. Source: ONS, Long-term international migration, year ending December 2025.
How many UK visas were granted to nationals of the United States in 2025?
In 2025, the Home Office granted 11,470 work, 16,808 study, 3,409 family, 15 safe route and 1,177 other visas to nationals of the United States, counting main applicants and family members. Source: Home Office, entry clearance visa datasets, year ending June 2026.
How many nationals of the United States claimed asylum in the UK in 2025?
In 2025, 159 nationals of the United States claimed asylum in the UK, counting main applicants and family members by date of claim. Source: Home Office, asylum claims dataset (Asy_D01).
How many nationals of the United States arrived in the UK by small boat in 2025?
In 2025, 1 national of the United States was detected arriving in the UK by small boat across the English Channel. Figures from January 2025 can still be revised. Source: Home Office, illegal entry routes dataset.
How many nationals of the United States were resettled in the UK in 2025?
In 2025, 0 nationals of the United States were resettled or relocated to the UK through UK resettlement schemes, by date of arrival. Source: Home Office, resettlement dataset (Res_D02).