Entry Clearance For BNO Visa UK
You can apply for entry clearance for BNO visa UK if you are a British National Overseas (BNO) citizen and resident in Hong Kong. You do not need to have a job offer before coming to the UK and you can look for work once you have entered the UK with BNO visa. The BNO visa UK will be granted for an initial period of either 30 months (2.5 years) or for 5 years and upon completion of 5 years with BNO visa in the UK, you will be entilted to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as BNO. After one year of grant of Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), BNO will be able to apply for naturalisation as a British Citizen or registration as British Citizenship.
Eligibility Requirements For BNO Visa UK
A person applying for entry clerance as a BNO should meet the following requirements inter-alia to succeed in the entry clearance application:
- The applicant must be a British National (Overseas) under the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986;
- An applicant applying for entry clearance must be ordinarily resident in Hong Kong at the date of application;
- The applicant should make a valid entry clearance application as a BNO;
- The applicant must be aged 18 or over at the time of application;
- The applicant should demostrate that they can adequately maintain and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds for at least 6 months;
- The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part 9: grounds for refusal;
- A person applying for entry clearance as a BN(O) Status Holder must, if paragraph A39 and Appendix T of these rules apply, provide a valid medical certificate confirming that they have undergone screening for active pulmonary tuberculosis and that this tuberculosis is not present in them.
The Application Process For BNO Visa UK
Applications to the Hong Kong BN(O) Visa will be via a digital online application. This will be based on similar technology to the EU Settlement Scheme and will in practice mean that the majority of applications can be completed online without the need to send in physical documents by post or be interviewed.
There will be no requirement for applicants to apply for or hold a valid BN(O) passport and successful applicants will be able to travel on a valid Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport. However, valid or expired BN(O) passports should be kept and submitted with an application as evidence of BN(O) status. Where a BN(O) passport has been lost, eligibility checks can be made using historical records held by Her Majesty’s Passport Office.
All applicants will be required to provide biometric data. BN(O) citizens will not be required to submit fingerprint biometrics and will simply have to provide facial biometrics as part of the application process. Dependants of BN(O) citizens who are not BN(O) citizens themselves will need to give their fingerprints as part of the application process. Successful applicants will be issued with a digital visa.
Terms & Conditions Of Grant Of BNO Visa
The applicant will be granted permission for either:
- a period of 5 years, where the applicant has applied for a period of 5 years; or
- a period of 30 months, where the applicant has applied for a period of 30 months.
The permission will be granted subject to the following conditions:
- no access to public funds; and
- work (including self-employment and voluntary work) permitted except for employment as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach); and
- study is permitted, subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS.
How Can We Help You?
Our specialist team of BN(O) visa solicitors can provide fast, friendly, reliable and fixed fee legal services for your BN(O) visa entry clearance application. As your appointed legal representative for BN(O) visa entry clearance application, our work can include the following:
- assessing your eligibility for BN(O) visa for UK by considering all the relevant eligibility requirements;
- advising on relevant documents to be submitted in support of the BN(O) visa entry clearance application;
- assessing the documentary evidence to ensure that the documents are in line with the Home Office UKVI requirements for BN(O) visa entry clearance;
- completing online application form for BN(O) visa entry clearance for UK;
- preparing a detailed cover letter in support of the BN(O) visa entry clearance application to explain in detail how all the relevant requirements for BN(O) visa entry clearance have been satisfied by the applicant;
- submitting the BN(O) visa entry clearance application online, paying the Home Office UKVI fees for BN(O) visa application and booking applicant’s appointment with the relevant UK visa application centre;
- uploading all the supporting documents online in support of the BN(O) visa entry clearance application;
- making any post interview representations to the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO), if necessary;
- doing all the follow up work including responding to any queries raised by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) until decision is reached on your BN(O) visa entry clearance application.