Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders in the UK will be exempt from a proposal to double the qualifying period for settlement to ten years from 2027.
“Big Ben,” at the UK Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London. File photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP.On Monday, UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood laid out an immigration overhaul under which those on work visas would no longer automatically gain permanent residency after five years. Refugees who arrive illegally would face a wait for 20 years, or 30 if they arrived in a small boat.
Hong Kong migrants holding the BN(O) visa would still face a tighter B2 English level language requirement and criminal record checks under the new rules. They must also hold no government debt.
Migrant workers earning at least £50,000 (HK$530,000) per year – including doctors, nurses and teachers – will only have to wait five years. Those earning above £125,000 (HK$1.31 million) will be able to apply for settlement after three years.
The departure hall in Hong Kong International Airport. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.“[E]arned settlement institutes a new paradigm in our migration system, long overdue,” Mahmood told parliament on Monday. “That one of our greatest rights that we can offer now depends upon a contribution made and responsibilities met. The right to live in this country forever must now be earned. It will no longer be automatic.”
The visa scheme for Hongkongers was introduced amid the 2020 enactment of the Beijing-imposed security law in the city. Over 187,000 people have been issued with the visa.
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