Switching Into Hong Kong BNO Visa UK
You can apply for switching into Hong Kong BN(O) visa from inside the UK if you are a Hong Kong BN(O) citizen who is lawfully resident in the UK. The Home Office UKVI recognise that there are BN(O) citizens currently in the UK who may wish to apply for the Hong Kong BN(O) Visa from inside the UK. BN(O) citizens already in the UK on another form of leave will be able to apply and switch to the Hong Kong BN(O) Visa from within the UK from January 2021.
As specialist BN(O) visa solicitors, we can provide fast, friendly, reliable and fixed fee legal services for your application for switching into Hong Kong bn(O) visa from inside the UK. Ask a question to our expert team of immigration solicitors for free immigration advice or book an appointment for detailed legal advice concerning your BN(O) visa UK.
Eligibility Requirements For Switching Into BN(O) Visa UK
The applicant must meet the following requirements to successfully switch into BNO visa from inside the UK:
- The applicant must submit a valid application for switching into BNO visa;
- The applicant must be aged 18 years or over on the date of application;
- The applicant must be a British National (Overseas) under the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986;
- The applicant must be ordinarily resident in the UK, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, Bailiwick of Jersey, the Isle of Man or Hong Kong on the date of application;
- If the applicant has been living in the UK for 12 months or more on the date of application, they will meet the financial requirement. If the applicant has been in the UK for less than 12 months on the date of application, 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.
- The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part 9: grounds for refusal.
- The applicant must not be:
- in breach of immigration laws, except that where paragraph 39E applies, that period of overstaying will be disregarded; or
- on immigration bail.
- If the applicant is applying for permission to stay and:
- their last grant of permission was for 6 months or less; and
- the applicant was present in a country listed in Appendix T of these rules for more than six months immediately prior to their last grant of permission,
the applicant must 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 For Switching Into BN(O) Visa?
Our specialist team of BN(O) visa solicitors can provide fast, friendly, reliable and fixed fee legal services for your application for switching into BN(O) visa from inside the UK. As your appointed legal representatives for BN(O) visa application from inside the UK, our work can include the following:
- assessing your eligibility for switching into BN(O) visa from inside the UK by considering all the relevant eligibility requirements;
- advising on relevant documents to be submitted in support of your application for switching into BN(O) visa;
- assessing the documentary evidence to ensure that the documents are in line with the Home Office UKVI requirements for switching into BN(O) visa from inside the UK;
- completing online application form for switching into BN(O) visa from inside the UK;
- preparing a detailed cover letter in support of your application to explain in detail how all the relevant requirements for switching into BN(O) visa have been satisfied by the applicant;
- submitting the application online, paying the Home Office UKVI fees for the application and booking applicant’s appointment with the UKVCAS application centre;
- uploading all the supporting documents online in support of the application;
- doing all the follow up work including responding to any queries raised by the Home Office UKVI until decision is reached on your application.
