Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders exempt from UK plan to double settlement wait to 10 years, but face tougher English requirement

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.

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.

“[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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Tom founded Hong Kong Free Press in 2015 as the city's first crowdfunded newspaper. He has a BA in Communications and New Media from Leeds University and an MA in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong. He previously founded an NGO advocating for domestic worker rights, and has contributed to the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Al-Jazeera and others.

Tom leads HKFP – raising funds, managing the team and navigating risk – whilst regularly speaking on press freedom, ethics and media funding at industry events, schools and conferences around the world.