January sees spike in emigration from the UK

A popular online visa application website has recorded a 121 per cent spike in the number of emigration application this January.

Whether it’s because of the floods and the ever-worsening weather or just attacks of the January blues, it seems that more Brits than ever before are fleeing the country for warmers, less stressful locations. Even although January is the most popular month for those looking to emigrate, 2014’s crop is bumper by any standards.

The website, sensing a change, polled over 1000 visa applicants as to their reasons for leaving, with 43 per cent stating that the New Year is a great time to make a new start. Others said they’d decided to have a last Christmas with their families before jetting off, and 24 per cent noted that it’s a good time to get a job abroad as there’s less competition on the jobs front from new graduates.

The crucial question, whether the move was on the spur of the moment, received the most interesting answers. A total of 39 per cent said it was a knee-jerk reaction, with 31 per cent of the group claiming a recent relationship breakdown, 24 per cent putting it down to the weather and 18 per cent saying they were looking for a fresh start, a better job and a more enjoyable lifestyle.

Over 40 per cent claimed they had savings to fall back on, with 27 per cent leaving with just enough to keep them going until they could find a suitable job. Just 20 per cent had asked their families to help them financially.

Emigration from the UK in the year ending in June 2013 fell to 320,000, the lowest number since 2011. It remains to be seen whether the January spike will open the door to a rush to leave.