Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders exempt from UK plan to double settlement wait but face tougher requirements

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. But they will also be facing tougher English requirements in return.

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.

But 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, and 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.”