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
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, 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 Education Budget
Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders must be ordinarily resident in the UK for the previous 3 years in order to access courses funded by the Adult Education Budget. This includes regular English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses. Currently there is nowhere in the North West that has chosen to exempt BN(O) visa holders from this requirement.
However, there is funding available to support BN(O) visa holders to access English Language classes, in order to access these classes please speak to your council. If you don’t know which council area you currently live in you can search Find your local council on GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
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.
Eligibility for home fee status and student support in England on the Parliament.UK website.
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 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.