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Fiona Sun

The biggest shake-up of Britain’s immigration system in nearly half a century will not affect a five-year pathway to permanent settlement for Hongkongers, the UK government has said.
The British government unveiled a major shift in its profile for legal migrants on Thursday, saying it was prioritising those contributing to the UK economy and playing by the rules, days after announcing the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in decades.
The government earlier announced it would double the permanent settlement qualifying period for migrants to 10 years, with reduced waits for those who made “a strong contribution to British life”.
The Home Office, which handles immigration issues, said that immediate family members of UK citizens and Hongkongers under the British National (Overseas) scheme were among those who would retain the existing five-year pathway to settlement.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the scale of arrivals in recent years had been unprecedented.
The Home Office said that because of record high levels of migration under the previous government, 1.6 million migrants were set to become eligible for settlement by 2030.
Mahmood said: “To settle in this country forever is not a right, but a privilege. And it must be earned.
“I am replacing a broken immigration system with one that prioritises contribution, integration and respect for the British sense of fair play.”


The changes will apply to nearly 2 million migrants who arrived in the United Kingdom since 2021, subject to consultation on transitional arrangements for borderline cases.
The measures will not apply to those with existing settled status who have made their lives there.
For the first time, UK authorities revealed there would be penalties for immigrants deemed to be exploiting the system, while migrants reliant on benefits would face a 20-year wait for settlement – quadruple the current period and the longest in Europe.
A white paper published by the Labour government in May proposed tightening immigration rules, including requiring visa applicants and their adult dependants to take English tests and extending the residency requirement to 10 years before applying to settle in the UK.
But concerns were earlier raised after authorities did not mention whether it would affect the BN(O) pathway for Hongkongers.
Ying Perrett, a Liberal Democrat councillor on Surrey Heath Borough Council who moved to the UK via the BN(O) pathway in 2021, said the announcement was a “relief” for her and others.
“It has been very much a ‘breath-holding’ few months for Hong Kong BN(O) visa migrants like me, especially so with the new Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s recent announcements regarding migrants,” she said.
“Now, we can all breathe a sigh of relief, especially the batch of us who arrived on the BNO visa route in 2021.”
Britain launched the bespoke migration route in January 2021 in response to the Beijing-imposed national security law, approving nearly 225,000 BN(O) visas for Hongkongers and recording more than 160,000 arrivals as of September this year.
BN(O) visa holders may live, work and study in Britain, with the option to apply for permanent residency after five years, followed by citizenship after another year.
The UK parliament also debated the issue in September, after a petition urging the government to keep the five-year term for indefinite “leave to remain” for BN(O) holders received more than 108,000 signatures.
Alex Norris, the UK minister for border security and asylum, said at the time that Hongkongers were not only valued but had made “a huge positive and lasting” impact on life in Britain.


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Hong Kong politics

Hong Kong BN(O) holders’ 5-year pathway unaffected by UK immigration shake-up

Britain launched the bespoke migration route in January 2021 in response to the Beijing-imposed national security law. Photo: Shutterstock

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Britain has reaffirmed its commitment to Hongkongers it “repatriated” under a bespoke migration pathway. Photo: AFP

British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has stressed the UK remains a country that will protect those fleeing peril. Photo: AFP

First batch of 600 Hongkongers granted UK settlement under BN(O) scheme

The UK has received 166,300 people under the BN(O) scheme as of June. Photo: EPA-EFE

Britain introduced the BN(O) scheme in January 2021 for Hong Kong residents. Photo: Reuters

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UK announces major shift in profile of legal migrants, saying it is prioritising those who contribute to economy and play by rules


UK announces major shift in profile of legal migrants, saying it is prioritising those who contribute to economy and play by rules.


British National (Overseas) passport

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Hong Kong BN(O) holders’ 5-year pathway unaffected by UK immigration shake-up

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}UK announces major shift in profile of legal migrants, saying it is prioritising those who contribute to economy and play by rules

UK announces major shift in profile of legal migrants, saying it is prioritising those who contribute to economy and play by rules