The BN(O) pathway, allowing Hong Kongers a bespoke route to full UK residency and then citizenship, set up in the wake of the Beijing-imposed National Security Law, is to stay at five years, rather than the proposed 10 years for most migrants, the UK government has announced.
Residents of the former British colony holding British National (Overseas) status have been able to apply for the visa since 2021, and over 180,000 Hong Kongers have moved to the UK since, according to current estimates.
20-year wait?
Fears were initially sparked in November when the UK government announced massive changes to its immigration policy.
“Migration will always be a vital part of Britain’s story,” said Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood during the announcement, “but the scale of arrivals in recent years has been unprecedented,” noting that migration has added 2.6 million to the UK’s population since 2021.
Amongst the changes are plans to double the time required to be eligible for permanent residency from 5-10 years for most migrants, with some waiting up to 20 or even 30 years, as well as ending automatic qualification.
Hong Kongers on the BN(O) route will still be eligible for permanent residency after just five years, the UK government has now confirmed.
After one year of permanent residency, migrants can then apply for citizenship under the so-called 5+1 scheme.
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Not fully exempt
Some of the new rules will affect BN(O) holders, however.
Hong Kongers, like other migrants, will be required to possess an ‘A Level standard’ of English, or B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), up from the current B1 level or ‘GCSE standard’.
The move to raise the English competency threshold is causing worry amongst certain applicants, especially after Hong Kong’s English proficiency fell behind its Asian neighbours, Malaysia and the Philippines, in 2025, according to the English Proficiency Index.
Minimum income requirements, set to be £12,570 per annum for Hong Kongers, will also come into force.
The full details of the government’s immigration plans, and how these will affect Hong Kongers, are expected to be laid out in Spring 2026.
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