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The Star
18-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Get a second job? Stick it out? Hongkongers on BN(O) visas rue 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. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. 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. The 43-year-old said the biggest impact would be having to pay another upfront, five-year fee to the National Health Service (NHS). 'We already paid a five-year [NHS] fee for the family before we moved here. Another five-year payment will be a burden for us,' Cheung said. He estimated the family would have to pay an upfront bill of £18,110 (US$23,930), or about HK$186,400, based on the annual rate of £1,035 per adult and £776 per child. Cheung's family is among the more than 200,000 Hongkongers who have been granted visas under the BN(O) pathway as of March this year. The United Kingdom launched the scheme for Hongkongers in January 2021 in response to the introduction of the Beijing-decreed national security law. Under current immigration rules, successful applicants and their dependants can live, work and study in Britain, with the option to apply for permanent residency after staying in the UK for five years, followed by citizenship a year after. 'I won't say the UK has betrayed us as it initially gave us this pathway to emigrate,' Cheung said. 'The girls are in primary school now, and we've even bought a house for £400,000. It will be our forever home. So, whatever changes they make to the immigration rules, we're pretty much stuck with it.' 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 would be affected by the Labour Party's plans to tighten its immigration policies. A spokeswoman only told the Post that Britain remained committed to the 'humanitarian route' of the BN(O) scheme, despite announcing plans to cut migration to Britain, adding more details were 'going to be available in due course'. Car salesman turned factory worker Wong Kin swapped Hong Kong for Sandbach, located south of Manchester, in 2022 when he, his wife and young daughters moved under the bespoke pathway. He said they were determined to stay as they had bought a £300,000 four-bedroom home in the same year. 'My girls are healthy and happy to study here, and that's all it matters,' he said. Wong, who works as a delivery rider by night, said the potential lengthening of their settlement period would add to uncertainties about the future that were already exacerbated by the poor economic situation. 'Because my wife is at home with the girls, I'm considering getting another job to ensure financial security given the very unpredictable economic situation,' he said. The tightening of the settlement rules could also delay when the couple could access the about HK$1 million (US$128,360) sitting in their Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) accounts in Hong Kong, but Wong said there was nothing he could do about it. Willis Fu Yiu-wai, the immigration director at Hong Kong's Goldmax Associates, said the possible 10-year settled status would significantly affect individuals seeking to withdraw their MPF money, as simply holding a BN(O) visa did not permit them to do so. 'The process of BN(O) visa holders involves obtaining settled status after five years, followed by the possibility of citizenship. That settled status would unequivocally allow one to claim their MPF,' Fu said. He also doubted whether British authorities would deport BN(O) visa holders if they did not meet the economic contribution requirements suggested in the white paper. 'Should the UK proceed with the new plan on BN(O) visa holders, I believe people who have not met the requirements are likely to be given a bridging status, allowing them to stay and continue meeting the necessary criteria,' Fu said. 'I doubt they would be so unforgiving as to simply deport them outright.' More from South China Morning Post: For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2025.
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.
