Hong Kong BN(O) Exemptions
Contents
Housing
Private rented housing and purchasing a home is available to Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders. However, due to the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) conditions on the Hong Kong BN(O) visa, housing paid for by the Housing Element of Universal Credit (or Housing Benefit) is not available to Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders. You can find out more about NRPF conditions on our No recourse to public funds page.
Sometimes this may be referred to as Council Housing or Social Housing. You can find out more by visiting About social housing on the National Housing Federation website (housing.org.uk)
In the event that a BN(O) visa holder successfully applies for their NRPF conditions to be lifted, they will be able to access the Housing Element of Universal Credit.
Benefits
Due to the NRPF condition on the Hong Kong BN(O) visa, most visa holders are unable to claim most benefits. Examples of these benefits are:
- Housing Benefit
- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
For more information on benefits that are classed as public funds please see Benefits that are public funds | on the NRPF website (nrpfnetwork.org.uk)
There are, however, a number of benefits that are not classed as public funds and can be claimed by anyone that is eligible, regardless of immigration status. Examples of these benefits include:
- Maternity Allowance
- Statutory Maternity Pay
- Statutory Sickness Pay
- Incapacity Benefit
In the event that a BN(O) visa holder successfully applies for their NRPF conditions to be lifted, they will be able to access benefits that are public funds.
Independent, registered immigration advice should be sought before making applications for benefits if you have NRPF on your visa. You can find local immigration advisors on the Adviser Finder (oisc.gov.uk) website.
Adult Skills Fund
Department for Education has announced that residency eligibility rules for accessing Adult Skills Fund funded courses is due to change from 1st August 2025.
Individuals will be eligible for funding if they are ordinarily resident in the UK on the first day of learning and the learning is taking place in England.
DfE has published updated funding rules to reflect this: Adult skills fund: funding and performance management rules 2025 to 2026 – GOV.UK
Impact on BN(O) Visa Holders
Currently BN(O) visa holders have to prove at least 3-years residence in the UK to access ASF funded courses. With this rule change a BN(O) visa holder will be able to access ASF funded courses from day one of learning if they can prove ordinary residence.
The new rule changes currently only apply to areas where ASF is non-devolved. In Mayoral Combined Authority areas where ASF is devolved they will have the choice of adopting the new eligibility rules from 1st August 2025, or they can choose to delay the changes by 12 months. We are currently awaiting the decision of the Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region Combined Authorities on when they will implement the change.
For the financial year 2025/26 MHCLG also has funding available for Local Authorities to draw down to support BN(O) visa holders with English language. Up to £850 per learner is available for LA’s to retrospectively claim from MHCLG. MHCLG has informed SMPs that this funding will continue to be available for the remainder of the financial year.
Apprenticeships
Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders must be ordinarily resident in the UK for the previous 3 years in order to access apprenticeship funding. These rules are set nationally by the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), which has not exempted Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders from these residency requirements.
Student Finance for University
Generally, people must be resident and “settled” in the UK on the first day of the first academic year of their course in order to be eligible for home university fees and access to Student Finance England loans. Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders will not be eligible for home fees and student loans until they receive Indefinite Leave to Remain. International student fees are set by individual institutions, and you will need to contact your specific university/educational institution to understand what these fees are.
Employment Support
Employment support which requires the user to be in receipt of benefits, or to have recourse to public funds, is not available to most Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders. If you are referred to an employment support programme please ask the provider if this is something you can access with NRPF on your visa.
In the event that a BN(O) visa holder successfully applies for their NRPF conditions to be lifted they will be able to access employment support which requires the user to be in receipt of benefits.