The Home Office has published updates to the immigration rules including updates to rules impacting the Hong Kong BN(O) Route.
The changes being made to the Hong Kong BN(O) route will:
- Enable applicants to be granted further permission to stay on the route with access to public funds where they have previously varied their permission to remove the no access to public funds condition and continue to meet the eligibility requirements to be granted access to public funds.
- Allow decision makers to add up to 28 days of existing permission under the BN(O) route onto an applicant’s further permission to stay where the applicant has applied for a 30-month visa. This will assist them in completing a five year qualifying period required for settlement, without having to make a further temporary permission application.
- Ensure eligible family members of an individual who holds both BN(O) status and British citizenship can apply on the BN(O) route.
- Allow Adult Dependent Relatives on the BN(O) route to apply later to join the main applicant in the UK where there has been a change in their circumstances, and they can no longer live independently.
- Remove the requirement for partners and adult dependent relatives to have their permission end on the same date as the main applicant where they can apply to join them later in the UK. This will allow UKVI caseworkers to grant family members the full length of permission they apply for.
- Enable those who are on immigration bail solely because they have claimed asylum in the UK to apply on the BN(O) route.
For more detail on the changes and to read the explanatory note please follow the link here: Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 590, 14 March 2024 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)