Here’s everything you need to know about the British National Overseas (BNO) visa, including who is eligible and how to apply. Latitude can support with optimising your BNO visa application to maximise your chance of a successful application at the first attempt.
The British National Overseas (BNO) visa allows British National citizens and their families, who are ordinary residents in the UK or Hong Kong, to live, work, study and eventually settle in the UK.
This visa route will allow BNO status holders and their family members to apply for permission to enter and stay in the UK.
Applications can be made by:
Any applicant in the above categories must form part of the same household as the BNO citizen
BNO visa fees are £193 for a 30-month visa, or £268 for a 5-year visa (per person).
Each applicant must pay the immigration health surcharge which is £1,035 yearly for adults and £766 yearly for children. A biometric enrolment charge of £19.20 usually also applies.
From the application date, it usually takes up to 12 weeks to get a decision from UK visas and immigration.
Cases requiring further evidence or document verification can take longer than 12 weeks, with timescales varying drastically based on the context.
Get Support with your BNO Visa Application
There are a number of requirements for a BNO visa which applicants need to meet before they apply.
Key requirements for BNO visa:
A BNO visa allows Hong Kong residents with British National status (and their dependents) to work and study in most capacities.
However, you will not be able to access public funds, such as benefits, during your time in the UK as a BNO visa holder, but this visa type does provide a path to indefinite leave to remain.
You can choose whether you would like to apply for a 2.5-year (30 month) or 5-year visa under the British National Overseas visa category.
After you have lived in the UK for a continuous period of 5 years in this category (or for 5 years with permission to stay in a mixture of permitted categories), you may be eligible to apply for settlement under this route.
At this stage, you will need to provide evidence to show that you meet the qualifying period of 5 years, the English language requirement and evidence your knowledge of Life in the UK.
After 5 years of continuous residence in the UK, BNO visa holders are eligible to apply for permanent settlement (ILR) in the UK.
This is under the conditions that you were not absent from the UK for more than 180 days during any 12-month period, and you have no serious criminal record.
You can apply for ILR 28 days before reaching the 5-year requirement, and the fee is £3,029 per person. The application also involves a ‘life in the UK’ test.
Get BNO Visa Support From Our Expert Team
The application for a BNO visa is an online process which involves gathering documents to prove your identity, filling out a lengthy online application, and undergoing verification tests:
If you’re applying for a BNO visa from abroad or within the UK, it’s critical that you enlist expert legal support from the very beginning. That’s why the Latitude Law team is on hand right from the earliest stages of application.
We’ll make sure that you are eligible for this visa and that you submit the right documentation to give you the best chance of success with your visa applications.
Our reputation and expertise mean Latitude Law is recognised as a leading immigration law firm, and our guidance can give you the best possible chance of securing you a BNO visa for you and if applicable for your family.
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Yes, it is possible to extend your BNO visa from within the UK before your current visa expires. There is no limit on the number of extensions.
Refusal of a BNO application, whether for entry clearance or for permission to stay, does not carry the right of appeal.
However, if you feel the Home Office made a mistake with the decision then you can request an administrative review of the refusal decision. If your application has been refused, then contact Latitude Law to discuss your next options.
The BNO visa is a route to settlement. Applicants must satisfy suitability requirements and demonstrate English Language proficiency at minimum Level B1, and meet various other eligibility requirements depending on the particular category in which they apply.
Yes, various family members can apply with, or to join, the status holder; this includes partners, household children, adult children who are members of the household along with their own partners and children, and adult dependent relatives.
You can switch to many other visa categories from the BNO visa whilst in the UK. This includes the skilled worker visa, family visas, or temporary worker visas.
The Innovator Founder visa route replaced the Start-up and Innovator routes in 2023. It is essentially a hybrid of the two. It is now the only route for foreign entrepreneurs to enter the UK to establish a new business. It is also available to those who have significantly contributed to an existing business.
A settlement visa – also known as indefinite leave to remain – can only be applied for once a person qualifies, usually after a set period of residence in a visa category that leads to settlement. In most instances, settlement is obtained once a person has resided in the UK for five years. It remains valid unless you leave the UK for a continuous two-year period; even if you do so, it may still be possible to apply for a ‘returning resident’ visa.
The UK Expansion Worker Visa replaces the Representative of an Overseas Business route to allow senior or specialist employees to temporarily work in, and expand a business’s presence to the UK. Unlike its predecessor, a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed sponsor is required to permit overseas workers to enter the UK as an expansion worker.
