Nearly 10,000 Hongkongers granted permanent UK residence under BN(O) scheme

AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyNearly 10,000 Hongkongers granted permanent UK residence under BN(O) scheme

British National (Overseas) visa pathway was launched five years ago

2-MIN READ2-MIN2 Listen

William YiuPublished: 6:40pm, 23 May 2026Updated: 6:45pm, 23 May 2026

Nearly 10,000 Hongkongers have been granted permanent residence in the UK under a bespoke British immigration pathway launched in January 2021, making them eligible to apply for citizenship next year.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the British National (Overseas) visa pathway, which allows successful applicants and their dependants to live, work and study in the United Kingdom for up to five years.

“Since the scheme began, there have been a total of 9,804 grants of settlement to individuals whose most recent leave was on the BN(O) route, with 8,682 grants issued over the latest 12-month period [ending March 2026],” the UK Home Office said on Thursday when releasing quarterly immigration statistics.

AdvertisementThe number of Hongkongers settling in the UK via the BN(O) route as of March this year is the highest on record, with the UK government in the previous quarter announcing 670 people had obtained settlement status as of December 2025.

“Some individuals may be qualifying earlier, where time spent on other eligible visa routes, before moving onto the BN(O) route, counts towards their five-year residence period,” the Home Office added.

Advertisement

If BN(O) visa holders have lived in the UK for five years, they can apply to stay permanently under a status known as “indefinite leave to remain”. This give them the right to live, work and study there for as long as they like and to access government benefits if they are eligible. They can then apply for British citizenship after a year.

AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x