Entry Clearance For BNO Visa UK

• Page Contents
• Overview
• Requirements For BNO Visa UK
• Entry Clearance Applications From Other Countries
• Period and Conditions of Grant
• How Can We Help?
• Our Fixed Fees

You can apply for entry clearance for BNO visa UK if you are a British National Overseas (BNO) status holder and resident in Hong Kong. An application for BNO visa entry clearance from outside the UK is made in accordance with requirements as set out in Appendix Hong Kong British National (Overseas) of the Immigration Rules.

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. You can apply for initial BNO visa either for 30 months or for 5 years period and upon completion of 5 years residence in the UK, you will be entitled to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a British National (Overseas). After one year of grant of ILR as a BNO, you will be able to apply for naturalisation as a British Citizen or registration as British Citizenship.

Our specialist team of immigration solicitors in London can provide expert immigration advice and legal representations on fixed fee basis concerning your application for BNO visa UK from outside the UK. Ask a question online to our specialist team of BNO visa solicitors for free immigration advice online or book an appointment online for a detailed immigration advice and consultation with one of our BNO visa solicitors concerning your entry clearance application for BNO visa from outside the UK.

Requirements For BNO Visa UK

A person applying for entry clerance as a BNO should meet the following requirements to succeed in the BNO visa entry clearance application from outside the UK:

Valid Application

The applicant must submit a valid application for BNO visa UK entry clearance from outside the UK in accordance with requirements for a valid application as set out in Appendix Hong Kong British National (Overseas) of the Immigration Rules.

BN(O) Status Holder Requirement

The applicant must be a British National (Overseas) under the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986.

Ordinary Residence Requirement

An applicant applying for entry clearance must be ordinarily resident in Hong Kong at the date of application. Evidence of ordinary residence in Hong Kong could be (but is not limited to) a
combination of the following documents:

• an official Hong Kong ID card
• an official Hong Kong permanent ID card
• itemised bank statements
• a letter from an employer confirming their employment in Hong Kong
• a visa or residence permit or other immigration documents (a colour photocopy would be acceptable) showing residence in Hong Kong
• an educational record, for example a school report
• tax records
• records of rent or mortgage payments
• payslips
• household or utility bills
• valid tuberculosis certificate
• passport stamps that show an applicant travelling from, and returning to, Hong Kong for travel overseas.

Tuberculosis certificates and passport stamps can only be accepted as evidence of ordinary residence in Hong Kong in conjunction with other forms of evidence.

Age Requirement

The applicant must be aged 18 years or over on the date of application.

Suitability Requirements

The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part 9: grounds for refusal.

Financial Requirement

If the applicant is applying for entry clearance, 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 may rely on credible promises of future third party support. Funds must be shown as specified in Appendix Finance.

For the purposes of paragraph HK 6.2, accommodation will not be regarded as adequate if:

• it is, or will be, overcrowded; or
• it contravenes public health regulations.

Tuberculosis Test Certificate Requirement

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.

Entry Clearance Applications From Other Countries

Applicants for the Hong Kong BN(O) route can apply for entry clearance from any country outside the UK but must be able to demonstrate their ordinary residence in Hong Kong. For example, students studying abroad, businesspeople working away from Hong Kong or applicants visiting family overseas when they apply for the Hong Kong BN(O) route would usually meet the requirement for ordinary residence in Hong
Kong, providing they were ordinarily resident in Hong Kong prior to travelling. However, an applicant for the Hong Kong BN(O) route with a permanent or settled immigration status in another country would likely not meet the ordinary residence requirement for entry clearance.

Period and 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 expert immigration advice and legal representations on fixed fee basis for your BN(O) visa entry clearance application. The immigration caseworker to be carried out by our immigration solicitors on your BNO visa entry clearance application may entail the following:

• Our immigration solicitors will assess your eligibility for BN(O) visa for UK by considering all the relevant eligibility requirements;
• Our immigration solicitors will advise you on relevant documents to be submitted in support of the BN(O) visa entry clearance application;
• Our immigration solicitors will assess the documentary evidence to ensure that the documents are in line with the Home Office UKVI requirements for BN(O) visa entry clearance;
• Our immigration solicitors will complete online application form for BN(O) visa entry clearance for UK;
• Our immigration solicitors will prepare 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;
• Our immigration solicitors will submit 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;
• Our immigration solicitors will upload all the supporting documents online in support of the BN(O) visa entry clearance application;
• Our immigration solicitors will make any post interview representations to the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO), if necessary;
• Our immigration solicitors will carry out 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.

Our Fixed Fee For BNO Visa Entry Clearance Application

• Our immigration solicitors will charge a fixed fee ranging from £1,000 to £1,500 (no VAT) for your entry clearance for BNO visa UK. The agreed fixed will depend on the complexity of the application and the volume of work involved in the BNO visa UK application.
• Our fixed fee for the application does not cover any disbursements e.g. UKVI fee for the application and the applicant has to separately pay the Home office UKVI fees for the application.