The different types of people involved in migration, from tourists and students to refugees, citizens, and those without legal status.
Table of Contents
Migrant
A person who moves from one country to another. In UK statistics, this typically refers to someone who changes their country of usual residence for at least 12 months. The term covers both those arriving in the UK (immigrants) and those leaving (emigrants).
Immigrant
A person who comes to live in the UK from another country, typically for at least 12 months. UK statistics distinguish between long-term immigrants (staying a year or more) and short-term immigrants (staying between one and 12 months).
Emigrant
A person who leaves the UK to live in another country, typically for at least 12 months. Emigration is subtracted from immigration to produce the net migration figure. British nationals make up a significant share of those emigrating from the UK each year.
Long-term international migrant
The United Nations definition, used by the ONS: a person who moves to a country other than their usual country of residence for a period of at least 12 months. This is the standard definition used when calculating UK net migration figures.
Short-term migrant
A person who moves to or from the UK for between one and 12 months. Short-term migrants are counted separately from long-term migrants in official statistics and are not included in net migration figures, though they still have a measurable impact on public services and the labour market.
Foreign national / Overseas national
Any person who is not a UK citizen. Foreign nationals are subject to immigration control when entering the UK and must hold appropriate leave to enter or remain. They may hold citizenship of one or more other countries.
Non-EEA national
A citizen of a country outside the European Economic Area. Before Brexit, non-EEA nationals faced stricter immigration controls than EEA citizens. Since January 2021, EEA and non-EEA nationals are treated equally under the UK’s Points-Based System.
Commonwealth citizen
A national of one of the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth of Nations. Some Commonwealth citizens have historically held special rights in the UK, including the right to vote. Certain Commonwealth nationals may qualify for the UK Ancestry visa.
British citizen
A person who holds full British citizenship, usually acquired through birth, adoption, descent, registration, or naturalisation. British citizens have the right of abode in the UK, may hold a British passport, and face no immigration restrictions on living or working here.
British National (Overseas) / BN(O)s
A form of British nationality available to people from Hong Kong who registered before the handover to China in 1997. BN(O) holders do not automatically have the right to live in the UK, but since 2021 have been able to apply for a dedicated visa route.
British Overseas Citizen
A form of British nationality, mainly held by people connected to former British colonies who did not acquire citizenship of the newly independent country. British Overseas Citizens do not have the right of abode in the UK and cannot pass this status to their children.
British Territories Overseas Citizen
A person with citizenship through connection to a British Overseas Territory, such as Gibraltar or the Falkland Islands. Previously called British Dependent Territories Citizens. Most, but not all, British Overseas Territories Citizens also hold full British citizenship with the right of abode in the UK.
Stateless person
A person who is not considered a national by any country under its laws. Stateless people may be unable to obtain a travel document or access consular protection. The UK recognises statelessness under international law and has a limited route for stateless people to apply for leave to remain.
Refugee
A person recognised under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention as having a well-founded fear of persecution on grounds of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group. In the UK, recognition of refugee status is a prerequisite for the grant of asylum.
Asylum seeker
A person who has applied for protection in the UK on the grounds that returning to their country of origin would put them at risk. They are not yet recognised as a refugee. Asylum seekers await a decision from the Home Office and have limited rights in the meantime.
Failed asylum seeker
A person whose asylum claim has been refused by the Home Office and whose appeal rights have been exhausted. They have no legal right to remain in the UK and are expected to leave, either voluntarily or through enforced removal, though many remain in the country.
Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child (UASC)
A child under 18 who applies for asylum in their own right and is not in the care of a parent or responsible adult. UASCs are among the most vulnerable people in the asylum system and are entitled to local authority support under children’s legislation.
Dependant
A family member — typically a spouse, partner, or child — who accompanies or joins a main visa applicant in the UK. Dependants are granted leave in line with the main applicant. Recent policy changes have significantly restricted the right to bring dependants on some visa routes.
Foreign national offender
A non-British citizen who has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK. Foreign national offenders may be subject to deportation, particularly if sentenced to 12 months or more in prison. Their removal is a distinct policy area tracked separately in Home Office statistics.
Overstayer
A person who remains in the UK beyond the expiry date of their visa or leave to remain. Overstaying is a criminal offence and one of the main ways people become undocumented in the UK. The government does not publish reliable estimates of the total number of overstayers.
Irregular / unauthorised migrant
A person living in the UK without legal permission to do so. This includes those who entered without authorisation, overstayed a visa, or remained after exhausting asylum appeal rights. The true size of the UK’s unauthorised migrant population is unknown; estimates suggest it may exceed one million.
Illegal entrant
A person who enters the UK without going through immigration control or by using deception. Distinct from an overstayer, who may have entered lawfully. The term is used in UK law and Home Office statistics, though “irregular entrant” is sometimes preferred in international and humanitarian contexts.
Economic migrant
A person who moves to another country primarily for work or improved living standards, rather than fleeing persecution or conflict. The term has no fixed legal definition in the UK but is commonly used to distinguish labour migration from humanitarian migration, sometimes in contested political debate.
Highly-skilled migrant
A person migrating to work in a senior, specialist, or graduate-level role. Under the current Points-Based System, this broadly refers to workers in jobs at RQF Level 6 (degree level) or above. Earlier programmes used the term formally, including the now-defunct Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP).
Skilled worker
A person granted leave to work in the UK in a role meeting a defined skill and salary threshold. Since July 2025, skilled worker roles must be at RQF Level 6 or above. The Skilled Worker visa is currently the most common route for non-British workers coming to the UK.
Student
A person who comes to the UK primarily to study at a licensed educational institution. International students are among the largest groups of visa holders in the UK. Recent policy changes have restricted students’ rights to bring dependants and are under review regarding the Graduate Route.
Visitor
A person admitted to the UK for a temporary stay of up to six months for purposes such as tourism, business, or family visits. Visitors may not work or study on most courses. They are not counted as migrants in official statistics unless they subsequently switch to a longer-term route.