The United Kingdom operates two Hong Kong British National (Overseas) immigration routes — the BN(O) Status Holder route and the BN(O) Adult Child route — under Appendix Hong Kong British National (Overseas) of the Immigration Rules. Both lead to settlement after a continuous 5-year period of permission in the UK.

Who can apply under the BN(O) Status Holder route?

A BN(O) Status Holder applicant must be a British National (Overseas) under the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 and aged 18 or over on the date of application. They must be ordinarily resident in Hong Kong (for entry clearance), or in the UK, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, Bailiwick of Jersey, the Isle of Man or Hong Kong (for permission to stay).

Dependent partners, dependent children and, where there is a high degree of dependency, other family members may also apply under this route.

What does the Adult Child route cover?

The BN(O) Adult Child route serves the adult child of a BN(O) Status Holder or of the partner of a BN(O) Status Holder. The applicant must be aged 18 or over and born on or after 1 July 1979.

Dependent partners, dependent children and, in exceptional circumstances, other family members with a high degree of dependency may apply. Where the applicant is the child of a partner of a BN(O) Status Holder, the household must apply together.

What permission periods can applicants choose?

Applicants on the BN(O) Status Holder route can select either:

• A period of 5 years, where they applied for 5 years.
• A period of 30 months (plus, where they have extant permission on the Hong Kong BN(O) route, the remaining period of that permission, capped at 28 days).

Partners, BN(O) Household Children and BN(O) Adult Children follow the same 30-month or 5-year grant periods. Children's leave ends on the same date as their parent or grandparent, or the latest-dated of those.

What conditions attach to a grant?

Every Hong Kong BN(O) grant carries the same core conditions:

• No access to public funds.
• Work (including self-employment and voluntary work) permitted, except as a professional sportsperson or sports coach.
• Study permitted, subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS.

Decision makers may lift the no-public-funds condition where the applicant is destitute, faces imminent destitution, has welfare reasons relating to a relevant child, or faces exceptional circumstances affecting income or expenditure.

How does the financial requirement work?

The financial test turns on how long the applicant has lived in the UK with permission:

• 12 months or more: requirement met (unless the previous grant was 12 months Leave Outside the Rules following an unsuccessful BN(O) application).
• Less than 12 months: decision makers must be satisfied the applicant can maintain and accommodate themselves, or the family unit, without recourse to public funds for at least 6 months.

Funds must meet Appendix Finance, and applicants may rely on credible promises of future third-party support. Accommodation fails the test if it is overcrowded or breaches public health regulations.

When is tuberculosis screening required?

Entry clearance applicants must provide a valid medical certificate confirming screening for active pulmonary tuberculosis where Appendix Tuberculosis applies.

Permission-to-stay applicants need an in-country TB certificate when the last grant lasted 6 months or less and they lived in a TB-listed country for more than 6 months immediately before that grant. Certificates must come from an approved centre within the 6 months immediately before the date of application.

How does an applicant reach settlement?

To settle in the UK on the Hong Kong BN(O) route, applicants must:

• Have, or have last had, permission on the Hong Kong BN(O) route.
• Have spent a continuous period of 5 years with permission in the UK on a route to settlement, unless under 18 at the date of application.
• Show English language ability at CEFR level B1 in speaking and listening, per Appendix English Language, unless exempt.
• Meet the Knowledge of Life in the UK requirement at ages 18 to under 65, per Appendix KOL UK.
• Meet the continuous residence requirement in Appendix Continuous Residence.

What about Adult Dependant Relatives?

A BN(O) Adult Dependant Relative is a parent, grandparent, brother, sister, son or daughter of a qualifying BN(O) Status Holder, partner or Adult Child. The applicant must need long-term personal care because of age, illness or disability, and prove they cannot obtain that help in Hong Kong — because it is unavailable or unaffordable — even with practical and financial help from their UK-based relative.

What recourse exists if an application is refused?

Applicants whose application is refused may request an Administrative Review under Appendix AR. Where settlement requirements fail but permission-to-stay requirements appear likely to be met, the Secretary of State may vary the application to one for permission to stay. No additional fee applies, but the settlement fee will not be refunded.

The official consolidated text of Appendix Hong Kong British National (Overseas) is published on GOV.UK.