Home Office
The BN(O) Status Holder route is for a British National (Overseas) status holder who is ordinarily resident in Hong Kong, the UK or the Crown Dependencies. A dependent partner and a dependent child of a British National (Overseas) status holder can apply under this route. Other family members with a high degree of dependency may also apply under this route.
The BN(O) Household Member route is for the adult child of a BN(O) status holder or of the partner of a BN(O) status holder who is aged 18 or over and born on or after 1 July 1997. The child of a BN(O) status holders dependent partner, dependent child and in exceptional circumstances, other family members with a high degree of dependency may apply under this route. The adult child of the partner of a BN(O) status holder may apply with their dependent partner and dependent child, and they must all form part of the same household as the British National (Overseas) status holder when they apply.
The Hong Kong British National (Overseas) routes allow work and study in the UK and are routes to settlement.
HK 1.1. A person applying for entry clearance or permission to stay as a BN(O) Status Holder must apply online on the gov.uk website on the specified form as follows:
| Applicant | Specified form |
|---|---|
| Applicants with a chipped passport who: hold a passport which shows they are registered as a British National (Overseas); or hold a passport issued by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. | Either: Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Visa using the UK Immigration: ID Check app (when available); or Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Visa |
| Other applicants | Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Visa |
- HK 1.2. An application for entry clearance or permission to stay as a BN(O) Status Holder must meet all the following requirements:
- (a) any fee and Immigration Health Charge must have been paid; and
- (b) the applicant must have provided any required biometrics; and
- (c) the applicant must have provided a passport or other travel document which satisfactorily established their identity and nationality.
HK 1.3. The applicant must be aged 18 years or over on the date of application.
HK 1.4. An application which does not meet all the validity requirements for a BN(O) Status Holder may be rejected as invalid and not considered.
- HK 2.1. The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part 9: grounds for refusal. HK 2.2. If applying for permission to stay the applicant must not be:
- (a) in breach of immigration laws, except that where paragraph 39E applies, that period of overstaying will be disregarded; or
- (b) on immigration bail.
HK 3.1. A person seeking to come to the UK as a BN(O) Status Holder must apply for andobtain entry clearance as a BN(O) Status Holder before they arrive in the UK.
HK 3.2. A person applying for entry clearance as a BN(O) Status Holder must, if Appendix Tuberculosis applies, provide a valid medical certificate confirming that they have undergone screening for active pulmonary tuberculosis and that this tuberculosis is not present in them.
HK 4.1. The applicant must be a British National (Overseas) under the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986.