Below are details of a British scheme offering a path to citizenship for more than 5 million people in Hong Kong after London declared that China had broken the terms of a 1984 handover treaty by imposing a new security law.
What is a British national overseas?
The offer applies to those with British National (Overseas) status and their dependents. This is a special status created under British law in 1987 that specifically relates to Hong Kong.
It allows adults and children to register and hold a BN(O) passport if:
- they were a British dependent territories citizen by connection with Hong Kong.
- they would not have been a British dependent territories citizen but for a connection with Hong Kong.
A BN(O) passport holder is still subject to immigration controls and does not accord the automatic right to live or work in Britain.
As of October 2, 2020, there are 469,416 holders of BN(O) passports, and the government estimates there are around 2.9 million BN(O)s with a further 2.3 million eligible dependents.
What is Britain offering BN(O)s?
Britain is granting BN(O)s a five-year visa that allows them to live and work in Britain. After five years, BN(O)s will be able to apply for “settled status.”
After 12 months with settled status, they can apply for citizenship.
The immediate family of those with BN(O) status will also be eligible.
What are the criteria?
There will be no skills tests or minimum income requirements, economic needs test or caps on numbers.
Applicants do not need to have a job before coming to the UK - they can look for work once there. Their immediate dependents may include non-BN(O) citizens.
BN(O) citizens must have no serious criminal convictions and will need to show they can support themselves and their dependents for at least six months.
They will need to pay visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge. The visa costs 250 pounds ($340) per person.
If they subsequently apply for citizenship after they become settled, they must meet the criteria and pay the applicable fees.
When will the changes come into force?
The government will open the Hong Kong BN(O) Visa for applications on January 31.
Eligible applicants can apply online and book an appointment to register their fingerprints at a visa application centre. From February 23 some will be able to make the application visa a smartphone app.
BN(O) citizens do not need to hold a BN(O) passport in order to apply for the visa, so there is no need to apply for or renew a BN(O) passport specifically for this purpose.
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