Latest news with #BNOVisa
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
163,400 Hongkongers arrive in the UK under BN(O) visa since 2021
More than 163,000 Hongkongers have arrived in the UK since the British government introduced a bespoke pathway for residents in 2021, authorities have said. The British government also said it would hold a consultation later this year to look at whether its recent proposals to tighten immigration rules would apply to Hongkongers. The Home Office, which deals with immigration, announced on Thursday that 163,400 people had arrived in the United Kingdom under the British National (Overseas) visa scheme as of March this year, an increase of 2,220, or 1.3 per cent, from 161,200 in December. 'BN(O) visa applications, grants and arrivals have continued to decrease since 2021,' the office said in its quarterly figures for immigration. A total of 179,258 out-of-country visas had been granted and 44,646 in-country extensions. Britain introduced the new visa scheme in January 2021 for Hong Kong residents in response to Beijing's imposition of a national security law on the city.
South China Morning Post
17-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
How will UK's hardening stance on migration affect Hongkongers on BN(O) visas?
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled proposals to cut net immigration to the country, sparking concerns among Hongkongers about how it will affect the bespoke pathway – British National (Overseas) visa – launched in 2021. While the British government did not reveal whether the proposed measures would cover the BN(O) pathway, it said back in 2020 that the scheme would be reviewed in October 2025. The Post reviews the possible changes and what they could mean for Hongkongers. 1. What is the BN(O) pathway and who is eligible? Britain launched the visa scheme in response to Beijing's imposition of a national security law on Hong Kong in June 2020, which London said constituted a 'clear and serious breach' of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration that outlined the terms for the city's return to Chinese rule. An estimated 5.4 million of Hong Kong's 7.5 million people are eligible for the scheme that allows successful applicants and their dependents to live, work and study in the UK for up to five years. They can then apply for citizenship after six years. Since its introduction on 31 January 2021 to 2024, more than 200,000 BN(O) visas have been approved, with 161,200 having arrived in Britain, according to the UK Home Office. 2. Why is the UK tightening immigration rules and what will change? Net migration to the UK hit a record of more than 900,000 people in June 2023 and quadrupled from its level of 224,000 in June 2019, reaching about 700,000 for the year ending June 2024, according to the white paper 'Restoring Control over the Immigration System' published on Monday.
South China Morning Post
14-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Get a second job? How Hongkongers on BN(O) visas are bracing for UK's rule changes
Some Hongkongers who moved to the UK under a bespoke migration pathway have said the country's push to tighten immigration controls could prompt them to find a second job, while others fear they will need to pay another upfront healthcare fee or wait an additional five years to access their pension money. They were voicing their worries over the impact of the British government's newly released white paper, which outlined plans to tighten the controls. The measures included lengthening the settlement qualifying period to up to 10 years based on economic and societal contributions, instead of granting residency status automatically after five years as is currently the case. Visa applicants and their adult dependants would also be required to take English tests. Television producer Matt Cheung is one of those awaiting further details on whether British National (Overseas) visa holders would be affected. He relocated to the town of Warrington, situated between Liverpool and Manchester, in 2022 with his wife and now six-year-old twin daughters under the scheme.
South China Morning Post
13-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
UK ‘committed' to BN(O) visa route, but lack of details keeps Hongkongers in limbo
The United Kingdom has said it is committed to the British National (Overseas) pathway to permanent residency for Hongkongers, but uncertainties over the country's tougher stance on immigration have left thousands of applicants anxious about their future. Responding to inquiries from the Post, a spokeswoman for the British Home Office on Tuesday did not give a clear answer on whether Hong Kong's BN(O) passport holders who had migrated or planned to move to the UK under the bespoke pathway introduced in 2021 would be affected by the Labour Party's plans to tighten its immigration policies. She only said the UK remained committed to the 'humanitarian route' of the BN(O), despite announcing plans to cut migration to Britain According to a white paper published by British authorities on Monday, the tightened immigration measures include requiring visa applicants and their adult dependants to take English tests. Migrants will also have to wait 10 years to apply to settle in the UK, instead of being granted residency status automatically after five years. The spokeswoman said the UK government acknowledged concerns over its white paper and how it would affect Hongkongers' pathway to permanent residency in Britain, but declined to provide further details. 'I do want to point out that the white paper does make clear that we're committed to a humanitarian route like the BN(O) [visa]. There isn't anything further we can say on BN(O) visas at the moment, just that more details are going to be available in due course,' she said.
