London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 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
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×