United Kingdom: Broader Access to BN(O) Hong Kong Status

Update - February 9, 2026: The UK government has further expanded the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) route so that the adult children of BN(O) status holders who were under 18 at the time of the Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997 will now be eligible to apply for the route independently of their parents. Additionally, the parents and children of such individuals will also be eligible to move to the United Kingdom via the BN(O) pathway. 

April 17, 2023: The guidance relating to Hong Kong British National (Overseas) route has been updated to reflect the expansion of two existing concessions so that they now apply to all those eligible to apply under the route. The first concession allows family members of a main applicant under the Hong Kong BN(O) route who passes away during the application process to continue to apply to the route as if the main applicant were still alive; this concession has now been extended so it also applies to family members of an adult child of the Hong Kong BN(O) applicant. Further, the second concession allows the government to grant 12 months “Leave Outside the Rules” (allowing the government to grant permission even where the rules have not been fully satisfied) to individuals applying for Hong Kong BN(O) status who apply from within the United Kingdom and do not meet the financial requirement or the ordinarily resident requirement for the route; this now also applies to adult children of BN(O) status holders and their family members. The new guidance, like the original concession, does not mention what steps should be taken after the 12 months.