Hong Kong British National (Overseas)

There are two Hong Kong British National (Overseas) routes– the BN(O) Status Holder route and the BN(O) Household Member route.

The BN(O) Status Holder route is for a British National (Overseas) status holder who is ordinarily resident in Hong Kong, the Isle of Man, UK or the Channel Islands. A dependent partner and a dependent child of a British National (Overseas) status holder can apply under this route. Other family members with a high degree of dependency may also apply under this route.

The BN(O) Household Member route is for the adult child of a BN(O) status holder or of the partner of a BN(O) status holder who is aged 18 or over and born on or after 1 July 1997.

HK 1.3. The applicant must be aged 18 years or over at the date of application.

HK 4.1. The applicant must be a British National (Overseas) under the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 31. Ordinary residence in Hong Kong requirement for BN(O) Status Holder HK 5.1. An applicant applying for entry clearance must be ordinarily resident in Hong Kong at the date of application.

HK 3.1. A person seeking to come to the Isle of Man as a BN(O) Status Holder must apply for and obtain an entry clearance as a BN(O) Status Holder before they arrive in the Isle of Man. HK 3.2. A person applying for entry clearance as a BN(O) Status Holder must, if Appendix Tuberculosis applies, provide a valid medical certificate confirming that they have undergone screening for active pulmonary tuberculosis and that this tuberculosis is not present in them.

HK 6.2. If the applicant is applying for entry clearance, or is applying for permission to stay and has been in the Isle of Man for less than 12 months on the date of application, or where the applicant’s previous grant of permission was for 12 months Leave Outside the Rules following an unsuccessful application for the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) route, the decision maker must be satisfied that the applicant can adequately maintain and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds for at least 6 months.

HK 9.1. The applicant will be granted permission for either— (a) a period of 5 years, where the applicant has applied for a period of 5 years; or (b) a period of 30 months (plus where the applicant has extant permission on the Hong Kong (BN(O) route, the remaining period of that permission, up to maximum of 28 days) where the applicant has applied for a period of 30 months.

HK 9.2. The permission will be granted subject to the following conditions— (a) no access to public funds; (b) work (including self-employment and voluntary work) permitted except for employment as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach); and (c) study is permitted, subject to the condition set out in Appendix ATAS to the Immigration Rules.

The Hong Kong British National (Overseas) routes allow work and study in the Isle of Man, UK, and Channel Islands and are routes to settlement.

HK 60.1. Unless an exemption applies, the applicant must show English language ability on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in speaking and listening to at least level B1.