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A recent survey has revealed that the number of British people who will retire abroad is set to rise to 3.3 million by 2050, the BBC has reported.
The majority of British expats who have already made the move away from the UK stated that their main reason for overseas emigration was the desire to improve their quality of life, with the rising costs of living in the UK also proving to be one of the leading factors.
90% of expats surveyed claimed they had discovered a better quality of life since moving abroad, whilst 60% stated they had no intention of moving back to Britain at any point on the future.
Canada was rated as the most desirable location to immigrate to, followed closely by Australia in second place and New Zealand in third. Read more about More Brits to retire abroad |
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A record number of Brits are leaving the UK and purchasing properties overseas, with Australia, New Zealand and Canada leading the way in terms of being the most sought-after destinations.
A recent report published by currency conversion specialists HiFX has revealed that the number of UK enquiries regarding Australian, Canadian and New Zealand immigration increased by 22 per cent in 2007 compared to the previous year. To convert these statistics into numbers, some 400,000 long-term British residents left the country last year, up from 359,000 in the previous year; the largest increase since the records began in 1991.
“A strong pound, rising house prices and good job opportunities abroad tend to be main reasons for Brits to emigrate,” said Mark Bodega, director of HiFX.
“However different destinations hold different appeal and changes to the migration process in certain countries is really affecting the numbers of people choosing to move there.” Read more about More Brits buying property abroad |
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In May 2007, legislation from the Identity & Passport Service was passed stating that first-time passport applications for UK citizens over 16 will be carried out on a face-to-face basis in an effort to combat the threat of passport fraud and identity theft.
The requirement to attend an interview is currently being implemented on a relatively small scale; however, purpose-built offices are currently being constructed throughout the UK to ensure that it becomes the standard procedure for all adult applications by the end of 2007. Read more about UK Identity & Passport Service announces commencement of interviews for first time applicants |
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Immigration News 
