London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Hong Kong BN(O) visa applications already being approved, British group claims

Hong Kong BN(O) visa applications already being approved, British group claims

Despite lack of official data from London, Simon Cheng, who leads Hongkongers in Britain, says he knows of ‘a few cases’ where the applications have been successful just two weeks after the scheme opened.

Almost two weeks since the visa system for British National (Overseas) passport holders went live, unconfirmed reports suggest potentially hundreds of people have had their applications approved.

While Britain has yet to release any official figures, Simon Cheng Man-kit, who worked for its consulate in Hong Kong, and founded Hongkongers in Britain last year, said he had seen “a few cases” of people whose visa applications had been approved.

Those who have gone through the process already recounted hours of filling out digital forms, answering 100 questions and providing detailed information on their lives, including travel history, for the past 10 years.

“Some were even granted the visa after one day, on February 1,” he said.

Simon Cheng founded the Hongkongers in Britain group.


Cheng’s group is in touch with 10,000 people via their social media channels, which he said were meant to “serve as a community for Hongkongers in the United Kingdom … to assist them in integrating with life here”.

A spokeswoman for the Home Office said data for BN(O) visas would be published in “due course”, and declined to comment further on application and approval numbers.

From January 31, an estimated 5.4 million people out of Hong Kong’s population of 7.5 million were eligible to apply for these new visas.

Last month, Beijing and Hong Kong stopped recognising the BN(O) passport as a valid travel document and a form of identity. Hong Kong said it would crack down on dual nationality, a move that could affect residents’ rights to access foreign consular services.

Those applying in Hong Kong before February 23 are required to visit the North Point visa centre and provide fingerprint and facial scans before the application can be processed.

Those submitted after that date can be completed online through a new app – a date many are waiting for.

Peter* and his girlfriend, however, opted not to wait and were among the first to apply for a BN(O) visa online, on January 31.

The 30-year-old media professional is ready to go to London, but was told it would take up to 12 weeks to process his application.

Peter said the application was not complicated “but attention to some details is recommended”.

The lengthiest part of the process, which he said took “almost three hours to finish”, was documenting his travel history for the past 10 years, and other documents such as tuberculosis test results, temporary UK address, and proof of finances.

Aby Wong, who arrived in London last October, applied for the BN(O) visa the day the scheme started and encountered similar problems.

“I had to check all the stamps in my passport and my photos in the last 10 years to find out [where she had been],” she said. “The other questions include whether I had any criminal records in any countries, or if I have ever been denied entry in any places.”

Other questions included whether the applicants have worked in the police, armed forces, media organisations, and even the judiciary.

Another question the 28-year-old had to answer, was: “Have you, as a part of your employment or otherwise, undertaken paid or unpaid activity on behalf of a non-UK government which you know to be dangerous to the interests or national security of the UK or its allies?”

After applying, Wong had to make a booking at a visa application centre to submit her fingerprints. No slots in the next 28 days were available and she only managed to secure a time slot in March, by which point applications can be completed through a mobile phone app.

Peter, who is in a hurry to leave Hong Kong, hoped his paperwork could be processed as soon as possible.

“I love my birthplace but it has long gone anyway,” he said. “Hong Kong is now just one of the [Chinese Communist Party] dictatorial cities. Either leaving or staying is a big risk, I prefer to risk in a free country.”

Of the people who applied for the visa when the applications opened, Cheng, who was granted asylum in London in June last year, agreed most people wanted to get their legal status to stay in Britain or come to Britain “with some urgency”.

However, migration consultants and BN(O) status holders the Post spoke to said they wanted to wait until the app went live on February 23. Some said they were put off by having to make appointments at the visa centre to submit their fingerprints, so decided to wait.

Willis Fu Yiu-wai, marketing director and senior immigration consultant of Goldmax Associates said some of his clients were already in Britain under the Leave Outside the Rules policy, but were waiting for the online app before applying.

The latest data, provided under a Freedom of Information request in Britain, showed 311,875 Hong Kong residents obtained BN(O) passports last year, the most on record, and higher than the previous 10 years of approved applications combined.

A total of 622,981 special travel documents were in circulation at the end of 2020, British government data showed.

The passports were created before Hong Kong’s return to China in 1997, and allowed Hongkongers visa-free entry to Britain for up to six-months, but offered no right of abode or work.

Britain’s special visa offer to Hongkongers came in the wake of the Beijing-imposed national security law. London said it was a “clear and serious” violation of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration signed ahead of the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty.

The sweeping legislation is designed to prevent, stop and punish secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and foreign interference. Opposition politicians and critics warn it could be used to suppress dissent and erode freedom in the city.

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
×