Who can apply for the BN(O) visa
You can apply if you are 18 or older and either a British National (Overseas), or the child of a British National (Overseas) born on or after 1 July 1979. A BN(O) child aged 18 or over applies separately from their parent. Your permanent home must be in Hong Kong if you apply from outside the UK, or in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Hong Kong if you apply from inside it. There is no sponsor and no job offer: you can work, study and run a business.
The two options and the costs
You choose between two years and six months and five years. The longer option costs more at the start because the immigration health surcharge is paid for the whole period, but it avoids a further application and further fees.
| Option | Visa fee | Health surcharge, adult | Health surcharge, child |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 years 6 months | £206 | £2,587.50 | £1,940 |
| 5 years | £285 | £5,175 | £3,880 |
You and each family member pay their own fee and surcharge. You may also have to attend an appointment to give your fingerprints and photograph.
Funds
The first time you apply you must show you can support yourself and your family for at least six months in the UK. As a guide, you would need about £2,000 as a single adult, £3,100 as a couple with a child, £4,600 as a couple with three children, and £9,200 as a couple with two parents and two adult children. These funds are separate from the visa fee and the surcharge.
Family members
Your partner, your children under 18 and an adult dependent relative may apply after you, but other family members, such as adult children, must usually apply at the same time. They must meet the same conditions as you. A BN(O) child aged 18 or over, born on or after 1 July 1979, can apply on their own, with their own partner and children.
What you can and cannot do
- You can work, except as a professional sportsperson or sports coach, and study.
- You cannot usually claim public funds, though access to benefits is possible if you are destitute or at risk of destitution, and it does not prevent you from settling.
Extending, settling and citizenship
You can extend the visa as many times as you wish. After five years in the UK you can apply for indefinite leave to remain, and about twelve months later, for British citizenship. If you choose the five-year visa and meet the conditions, you can settle without a further extension. See indefinite leave to remain and naturalisation.
Where applications go wrong
The route is straightforward for someone with a valid BN(O) passport. The difficulties are usually proving that an adult child is the child of a BN(O) holder when documents are old or incomplete, showing funds held in several accounts or in another currency, and evidencing a permanent home in Hong Kong. Allow time to assemble them.
How we help
We confirm eligibility for you and your family, advise whether two and a half or five years suits you, prepare the application and the funds evidence, and act when you extend or settle. A consultation costs from £99.
