670 Hongkongers settle in UK with BN(O) visa, but applicant numbers miss target

Nearly 670 Hongkongers have been granted settlement in the United Kingdom under its bespoke BN(O) visa pathway, although the total number of applicants has fallen short of the British government’s lowest “core” estimate five years after its launch.While tens of thousands of Hongkongers are set to qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain, or settled status, this year, experts suggested that uncertainties over the UK’s long-term settlement of migrants could deter future applications.The UK introduced the pathway for relevant passport holders in January 2021 in response to the Beijing-imposed national security law.While the UK announced it would double the permanent settlement qualifying period for migrants to 10 years, Hongkongers on the BN(O) route remain able to qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain after just five years, followed by citizenship after another year.According to figures released last week by the Home Office, Britain’s interior ministry, nearly 670 Hongkongers had been granted settlement under the British National (Overseas) route as of the end of 2025.It noted that some individuals may have qualified earlier as time spent on other migration routes counted towards the five-year residence period.