British National (Overseas) visa programme

A pathway to British citizenship
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In July 2020, the British government offered Hongkongers with BN(O) status and their dependants a pathway to citizenship, in response to Beijing's imposition of the national security law. From January 31, 2021, they can apply for a visa to work or live in Britain for five years, before they are eligible to apply for citizenship.

Latest News
News
Society
The UK has not clarified whether Hong Kong’s BN(O) passport holders who have migrated or plan to move to the Britain under a bespoke scheme will be affected by new migration curbs. Photo: EPA-EFE
Society
Explainer|How will UK’s hardening stance on migration affect Hongkongers on BN(O) visas?
The Post reviews possible changes to UK immigration rules and what this will mean for Hongkongers.
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Parliament Square with the Elizabeth Tower, which is commonly known as Big Ben, in the background, in London. Photo: EPA-EFE
Europe
UK aims to cut immigration yet eyes new investor visa for strategic sectors
New special visa plans were being considered alongside making existing visa routes easier for investors.
The UK has not clarified whether Hong Kong’s BN(O) passport holders who have migrated or plan to move to the Britain under a bespoke scheme will be affected by new migration curbs. Photo: Getty Images
Society
Weigh ethical factors before tightening BN(O) visa rules for Hongkongers: report
Curbs on bespoke pathway unlikely to hurt Britain economically, UK advisory committee says.
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Visa applicants and their adult dependants would also be required to take English tests under the UK government’s plans. Photo: EPA-EFE
Society
Get a second job? Stick it out? Hongkongers on BN(O) visas rue rule changes
Uncertainty abounds as Hongkongers fear potentially facing unexpected costs, additional wait for MPF under UK’s tightening of immigration policy.
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People on the Millennium Bridge in London, with St Paul’s Cathedral in the background. The UK government said on Monday it would be adopting a tougher stance on immigration. Photo: AFP
Education
UK ‘committed’ to BN(O) visa route but lack of details worries Hongkongers
British Home Office declines to give more details on whether BN(O) pathway will be affected amid tougher stance on immigration.
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The plan is part of the measures listed in a white paper that the British government published on Monday to set out how it would tighten its immigration policies. Photo: Reuters
Society
‘Freaking out’: Hongkongers fret over BN(O) visas as UK hardens migration stance
Worries voiced over plan to double settlement qualifying period for migrants to 10 years and raise language requirements.
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More than 80,000 pupils departed Hong Kong schools between 2019-20 and 2022-23. Photo: Felix Wong
Education
Hong Kong schools record net increase of 4,500 students, reversing outflow trend
Reverse in fortunes for local schools follows departure of more than 80,000 pupils between 2019-20 and 2022-23.
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Hongkongers holding British National (Overseas) passports no longer need to obtain an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) document before travelling to the United Kingdom Photo: Fung Chang
Politics
Hong Kong BN(O) passport holders exempt from needing ETA to travel to UK
Amendment to immigration rules, suggested by migration and citizenship minister Seema Malhotra, has now been implemented.
All eligible non-European nationals planning to travel to Britain must obtain an ETA before their journey. Photo: Reuters
Politics
UK exempts Hong Kong BN(O) passport holders from needing ETA ahead of travel
Migration and citizenship minister Seema Malhotra says in letter the Home Office will amend the immigration rules ‘at the earliest opportunity’.
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In the 2023-24 academic year, 2,603 teachers from subsidised and grant-receiving primary and secondary schools left the profession as a result of retirement, resignation or other reasons. Photo: Shutterstock
Education
Hong Kong educators took out HK$8.7 billion from pensions in past academic year
Figure represents drop from peak of HK$10.7 billion in 2021-22, in sign that manpower crunch in sector is easing.
A patient is wheeled into the accident and emergency department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei on January 31. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong Opinion
Opinion|Time to ask if non-residents should have Hong Kong healthcare access
Hong Kong’s health system is creaking under an ageing population, and we must ask if it’s fair for non-residents to be treated like locals.
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Some immigration consultants in Hong Kong have said the Tories’ proposal could hit Hongkongers’ confidence in the UK’s commitment to the city. Photo: Reuters
Society
How worried should Hongkongers be over Tories’ tighter UK immigration plan?
Opposition Conservative Party proposes tougher immigration rules, panicking some migrants using BN(O) visa scheme.
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The UK’s Home Office last week proposed to increase four immigration fees, including the newly implemented Electronic Travel Authorisation application fee from £10 to £16, a 60 per cent increase. Photo: EPA-EFE
Politics
Hongkongers seeking UK citizenship decry fee hikes, fearing more set to come
Residents using BN(O) visa scheme face 40 per cent increase in associated fees compared with what authorities charged in 2021.
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People view the office buildings of the City of London from Parliament Hill in the Hampstead suburb of north London. Photo: AFP
Business
Will higher school fees, new taxes turn Hongkongers away from UK properties?
Additional education fees, a new tax scheme and slowing growth in rental rates could turn Hongkongers away from UK property.
From Wednesday, non-Europeans from 49 places or countries, including Hong Kong and Macau passport holders, must have an ETA to travel to the UK. Photo: EPA-EFE
Society
Hong Kong, Macau passport holders hit online snag for UK travel e-permit
Attempts to list Hong Kong or Macau as passport’s place of issue or applicant’s nationality triggers pages stating such document holders are ‘not eligible’.
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The study interviewed 96 people holding visas issued under the British National (Overseas) scheme. Photo: AFP
Society
Hongkongers in UK stuck in jobs far below their abilities, study finds
Think tank and non-profit group warn of ‘key barriers’ preventing Hongkongers from finding suitable work, such as qualification recognition.
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Tower Bridge in London. High childcare costs present significant barriers to entering the workforce, according to a think tank’s report on Hongkongers settling in the UK. Photo: EPA-EFE
Education
Hongkongers in England, Wales extend record birth numbers under BN(O) scheme
Hongkongers had 2,129 babies last year in England and Wales, even as birth numbers hit nearly 50-year low in their new homes.
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Wah Yan College Hong Kong reported an early withdrawal rate of just 2 per cent in the last academic year. Photo: Felix Wong
Education
Early exit rates at elite Hong Kong secondary schools drop sharply
The Post reviews 14 schools, finding fewer students leaving for second straight year and most departure rates lower than before emigration wave.
The UK last year rolled at its own talent scheme to recruit teachers from overseas. Photo: AP
Education
1,887 Hong Kong teachers apply to work in England under education talent scheme
Data obtained by Post shows about 800 applicants already approved under UK scheme targeting educators from nine new jurisdictions.
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Visitors can apply for the electronic travel permit through an official mobile app or via a website. Photo: AFP
Society
Hongkongers will need to pay to enter UK next year with electronic travel permit
Britain’s stepped-up border controls require Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders to obtain permit from January 2025.
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The Canary Wharf district in London. Britain launched the citizenship pathway after Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong in June 2020. Photo: Bloomberg
Politics
150,400 Hongkongers have moved to UK using BN(O) pathway
British authorities say application numbers are decreasing, with only about 5,700 received in most recent quarter.
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A rioter in the English city of Bristol hurls a beer can at a police line as the country was hit by anti-immigration protests. Photo: AFP
Society
Muslim Hongkongers’ safety fears in UK as anti-immigration riots rock England
Muslim Council of Hong Kong chairman Adeel Malik, who now lives in Birmingham, says community checking on safety of family and friends.
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An officer tries to restrain a protester in Liverpool on August 3. The demonstrations were triggered by a mass stabbing incident. Photo: AFP
Society
Hongkongers warned to exercise caution in the UK amid anti-immigration riots
A stabbing attack on July 29 that killed three children and injured 10 others triggered violence that has spread throughout the country.
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The independent school sector in the UK admitted over 62,000 overseas students in 2024, and pupils from mainland China and Hong Kong comprise the largest groups. Photo: Shutterstock
Education
Higher VAT to hit UK private schools, but experts say Hong Kong families unfazed
Consultants add the VAT roll-out is likely to be charged in phases and schools may not pass on all the tax burden to parents.
The Ariel, a 23-storey residential tower with 167 units comprising studios and flats with one-to-three bedrooms with an area of between 400 and 2,071 sq ft, in Television Centre in White City, London, is being marketed with prices starting at £590,000 (US$762,000). HANDOUT PHOTO
Business
UK property market sees green shoots as buyers eye rate cut, lower mortgage rates
Hong Kong- and mainland China-based buyers could return to UK property markets on prospects of lower interest rates and mortgage costs.
Birmingham City Council. Birmingham, Nottinghamshire and Barnet are the most popular choices for Hong Kong students, a government survey has found. Photo: Shutterstock
Education
Number of Hong Kong students at state schools in England rises by nearly a third
Birmingham, Nottinghamshire and Barnet the most popular choices, government survey finds.
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Opinion
My Take|Plan to toughen UK migrant rules is more hot air than hot policy
Hongkongers in Britain deserve clarity and commitment rather than the half-baked proposals presented by the new Conservative Party leader.
SCMP ColumnistCliff Buddle
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My Take|The UK should do more to tap into the talent Hongkongers offer
While many former residents have encountered difficulties since making the move, they will, if properly utilised, be of great value to their new home.
SCMP ColumnistCliff Buddle
14
Being Chinese|How I transcended my Hong Kong identity crisis
I felt neither British nor Chinese growing up in Hong Kong. Travelling the world and living in Beijing helped me find my bearings.
Dennis Lee
11
My Take|BN(O) scheme more a cruel trap than ticket to paradise
For many, life under the migration scheme to escape ‘tyrannical’ Hong Kong has turned into a vale of tears.
SCMP ColumnistAlex Lo
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My Take|New British immigration bill has BN(O)ers running scared
Only time will tell whether proposed immigration changes will affect Hongkongers who have moved to the country under the scheme.
SCMP ColumnistAlex Lo
15
My Take|Poll reveals the complex human story of Hongkongers in the UK
While their new life has not been a bed of roses almost all the BN(O) migrants say they intend to stay. Britain should make the most of them.
SCMP ColumnistCliff Buddle
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My Take|Expect coming waves of Hong Kong returnees from the UK
New British survey shows few find suitable work. No income or low earnings will diminish their chances of success at securing permanent residency in a country increasingly hostile to immigration.
SCMP ColumnistAlex Lo
82
Inside Out|Hong Kong needs patience and a brave face for slog of economic recovery
Data suggests Hong Kong is starting to recover, with tourism, service exports and population numbers coming back up. But challenges remain, including eagerness of many in the West to write Hong Kong off.
David Dodwell
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Outside In|Like it or not, migrants rich and poor will shape our economic futures
Whether due to conflict, global warming or simply rich people trying to improve their lot, migration is almost certainly set to grow – and it’s likely to be the only way to replenish falling populations in the rich, developed world.
David Dodwell
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My Take|Say goodbye to your bank accounts — the real ‘cancel culture’ in Anglo-America
Banking is a fundamental utility like water and electricity, and that’s precisely why democratic societies are increasingly turning to its use as a method of censorship and repression.
SCMP ColumnistAlex Lo
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My Take|Banks are doing BN(O)ers in UK a favour by withholding their MPF pensions
Anti-China MPs in Britain have claimed human rights violations by banks such as HSBC for making MPF withdrawals difficult while their own government has seized US$2 billion worth of gold from the people of Venezuela.
SCMP ColumnistAlex Lo
10
My Take|A BN(O) highway to a cost-of-living hell
As Britain spirals down to the status of a third-world country through sheer government incompetence and economic mismanagement, Hong Kong can expect a huge wave of returnees sooner rather than later.
SCMP ColumnistAlex Lo
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