Immigration Vocabulary in English

An asylum seeker is a person who has fled their country and applied for protection in another country, but whose application has not yet been decided. A refugee is a person whose asylum application has been approved — they have been officially recognised as someone who cannot safely return home due to a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group. This distinction matters legally: a refugee has defined rights under international law, including the right not to be returned to a country where they face serious harm (a principle known as non-refoulement).

Naturalisation is the legal process by which a foreign national acquires citizenship of a new country. In the UK, most people can apply for naturalisation after living in the country for five years (or three years if married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen), provided they meet requirements around good character, language ability, and knowledge of life in the UK. After naturalisation, a person has the same rights as someone who was born a British citizen, including the right to hold a British passport and vote in all elections.

Push factors are the negative conditions in a person’s home country that motivate them to leave — such as war, poverty, political repression, lack of employment opportunities, environmental disasters, or persecution. Pull factors are the attractive conditions in a destination country that draw migrants towards it — such as strong job markets, political stability, the presence of family members, high-quality public services, or cultural ties. Most migration decisions are driven by a combination of both, and understanding these factors helps policymakers design more effective and humane migration policies.

Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) — sometimes called settled status — is a form of permission to live and work in the UK without any time restriction. Once you have ILR, you are free to take any job, access public funds, and apply for a British passport after a further qualifying period. Most people become eligible after five continuous years of lawful residence in the UK, though the exact route depends on the type of visa you hold. ILR can be lost if you spend too much time outside the UK, typically more than two years.

A points-based immigration system is one in which applicants must score a minimum number of points to qualify for a visa. Points are awarded for criteria such as having a job offer from an approved employer, meeting a salary threshold, holding a recognised qualification, and demonstrating English language ability. The UK introduced a unified points-based system in January 2021, following the end of free movement with the EU. It is designed to attract people with the skills the UK economy needs, regardless of where they come from, while limiting unskilled migration.

Both words refer to the movement of people between countries, but the perspective is different. Emigration is the act of leaving one’s own country to settle in another. Immigration is the act of coming to live permanently in a new country. So the same person who emigrates from Poland immigrates to the UK. A person who has moved is called an emigrant from their country of origin and an immigrant in their new country. In everyday use, “migration” is often used as a neutral umbrella term for both directions of movement.

A biometric residence permit (BRP) is a card issued to non-EEA nationals who are given permission to stay in the UK for more than six months, or who are given indefinite leave to remain. The card contains the holder’s personal information, biometric data (fingerprints and a photograph), and details of their immigration status and entitlements, such as the right to work or access to public funds. Employers, landlords, and public services may ask to see a BRP to verify a person’s status in the UK.

Remittances are money transfers sent by migrant workers to family members in their country of origin. They are a vital lifeline for many families in developing countries, providing income for food, education, healthcare, and housing. Globally, remittances represent one of the largest sources of financial transfers to developing nations — in many countries they exceed the value of foreign aid or foreign direct investment. They are also important for the economies of destination countries, as migrants who are paid in strong currencies contribute significantly to the receiving country’s economy through taxes and consumption.

Family reunification (sometimes called family reunion) is the process by which a migrant who has been granted the right to live in a new country applies for permission for their immediate family members — typically a spouse or civil partner and dependent children — to join them. It is recognised as a fundamental human right and is enshrined in international law. In the UK, eligibility for family reunification depends on the sponsor’s immigration status, income, and whether they can accommodate and support the family members without recourse to public funds.

If a person remains in the UK (or any other country) after the expiry of their visa or leave to enter, they become an overstayer — someone who is present without lawful immigration status. In the UK, this is a criminal offence. An overstayer may be detained by the Home Office, issued with a removal notice, and required to leave the country. Overstaying can also result in a ban from re-entering the UK for one to ten years, depending on how long the overstay lasted. It can seriously damage any future immigration applications, including applications for settlement or citizenship.