London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

Almost half of Hong Kong’s BN(O) migrants still unemployed

Almost half of Hong Kong’s BN(O) migrants still unemployed

New study finds only 18.5 per cent who moved to Britain under visa scheme had found full-time work for an employer as at end of August.

Fearful of the loss of personal freedoms and losing trust in the local government, Jane Leung* left a well-paid job in human resources when she swapped Hong Kong for the British city of Nottingham in June.

Now, four months after entering the country under the government’s British National (Overseas) visa scheme, Leung is struggling to find a job.

The 40-year-old, who worked in HR for the past decade, has been looking for part-time admin and customer service work that would facilitate her picking up and dropping off her two children at school.

Jane Leung and her family moved to Nottingham under the British National (Overseas) visa scheme four months ago.


Her husband, formerly an airline engineer in Hong Kong, now works on a warehouse production line, earning much less. A typical day sees him start work at 4.55am and finish at 1.45pm. A silver lining is that he can spend time with his two young children after school.

Their situation is not unusual: a new study of the employment situation for Hongkongers emigrating to Britain under the BN(O) scheme found that nearly half remained unemployed at the end of August and only 18.5 per cent had found full-time work for an employer.

Many reported struggles with the language, while others have found the difference in workplace culture daunting. Often, those who have been able to find work have had to swap their well-paid careers as Hong Kong professionals with shift work involving manual labour.

Leung said that to work in HR in Britain, she would need an extra qualification that would necessitate taking a course to meet the requirements. Another hurdle is her lack of a driving licence.

The inability to drive has led to her turning down work to find something closer to the Nottingham home the family chose because of its lower living costs compared with London and access to schools.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the well-publicised shortage of truck drivers and supply chain staff Britain faces following Brexit, many resettled Hongkongers have flocked to the transport and storage sector, according to a survey of 609 people conducted by Hongkongers in Britain, an advocacy group established last year.

“We have been receiving quite a lot of inquiries and information about driving licence conversions for example, whether HGV licences can be directly translated so they can start work in the UK,” said Julian Chan, the group’s co-founder, who did not think it was likely that a fleet of Hong Kong drivers would save British Christmas, since the licences were not transferable.

A copy of the British National (Overseas) passport.


Almost 65,000 Hong Kong nationals have applied for the visa scheme, launched by the Conservative government in response to Beijing’s imposition of a sweeping national security law that has led to mass arrests of political opponents and targeting of some media professionals and outlets.

An estimated 5.4 million of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million residents are eligible to apply. The scheme allows those with BN(O) status and their dependents to live, work and study in the country for up to five years, and to apply for citizenship after six.

The British government has called the law a “clear and serious breach” of the agreement under which the city was returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, and raised concerns about its impact on human rights.

The survey – launched on Monday – found the vast majority of participants were aware that leaving Hong Kong behind would mean accepting a lower-paid job and changing industries.

“They are quite willing, and this is supported by our data. They are quite agile. They expected to find different jobs, expected to even have lower income,” said Dr R Yeung, a consultant and researcher of public affairs policy. “They’re willing to move to any other sectors that are currently in demand.”

Chan said emigrating residents were largely making the move with their eyes wide open on the job front.

“A lot of Hongkongers who have moved over here, or are looking to move over here are not necessarily expecting to find jobs related to their sector, and that’s why you can see that 80 per cent of them say that they are prepared to transition towards something else,” Chan added.

Leung said she hoped her husband’s warehouse job would give him good experience of the British work culture, “then he will look for an engineering job later on”. His English was improving every day, she added.

“I always tell people not to compare the salary in Hong Kong and Britain, because there is a big gap – the Hong Kong salary is much higher ... but life in Britain, as long as we can [cover] our monthly expenses and have a happy environment, I think it’s fine.”

In many ways, Hong Kong migrants face the same struggles with language, qualifications and adaptation as those from other parts of the world. But there are clear differences, too.

The Leung family is renting a three-bedroom house for HK$9,500 (US$1,220) a month, but can supplement their income with savings and the proceeds from selling their Hong Kong flat for HK$5 million, almost £500,000.

Many BN(O) holders who have made the move (69.4 per cent) say they are financially secure, while 88 per cent hold either an undergraduate or a master’s degree.

Not everyone is so fortunate, however.

Sandy Lam* worked as an accountant for an advertising company in Hong Kong before also moving to Nottingham last December with her brother, his wife and three-year-old daughter, and their 74-year-old retired father.

She is dipping into her savings to support herself and her family, having been unable to find accounting work in Nottingham. Instead, she has worked an administrative job in an office since June.

“I definitely need to find another job as soon as possible, otherwise my savings will be used up soon and it will be hard to survive here,” she said, adding she earned two-thirds less per month than in Hong Kong.

All her family members have had to switch careers. Her brother, who had been working in sales, now works in a warehouse. His wife, formerly a marketer, is now a secretary.

Lam said the language barrier was a hurdle – as did half of all survey respondents – to finding work, as she did not feel confident in her English-language skills and the job market for accountants was highly competitive.

“A lot of people lost jobs here during the [coronavirus] lockdown. Many people are applying for the same jobs and the application quotas are easily filled,” she said.

Displaying some of the agility noted in the employment report, Lam is currently in the process of applying for her driving licence. Maybe one day soon, she will be an Uber driver.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×