London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

‘Third of Hongkongers with BN(O) status weighing UK move, 6 per cent acted on it’

‘Third of Hongkongers with BN(O) status weighing UK move, 6 per cent acted on it’

Oxford University research reveals potential movers tend to be millennials or younger, well off financially and university educated.

A third of Hongkongers with British National (Overseas) status are considering moving to the United Kingdom, while 6 per cent have applied for a scheme to do so, according to a survey, while new figures on pension withdrawals show an increase in the number of people leaving the city for good.

Half of the potential movers in the poll were younger than 40 and more likely to be wealthier – and university educated – than those planning to stay in Hong Kong, the study by Oxford University’s Migration Observatory found.

The think tank released its findings on Thursday after polling 1,000 Hongkongers with BN(O) status – which provides a pathway to British citizenship – between February and April this year.

More than 6 per cent had already applied to the BN(O) visa scheme or were about to do so, while a further 32 per cent were considering it. Factors making the visa attractive cited by respondents included work flexibility, being able to take relatives with them and the lack of an English language requirement.

Britain was the preferred option among Hongkongers who expressed an interest in leaving the city, with a third choosing the country as their top destination. Taiwan was the second most popular, followed by Australia and Canada.

An estimated 5.4 million of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million people are eligible for the scheme, which allows successful applicants and their dependents to live, work and study in the UK for up to five years. They can then apply for citizenship after six years.

Britain launched the visa scheme in response to Beijing’s imposition of a national security law on Hong Kong in June last year, which London said constituted a “clear and serious breach” of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration that set the conditions under which the city would return to Chinese rule.

The number of Hongkongers applying for the new pathway to British citizenship from July to September dropped by 21.5 per cent, to 24,000 applications compared with the 30,600 in the previous quarter.

Some 88,900 Hongkongers have applied for the visa since its introduction on January 31, of which 76,176 have been approved.

Canada and Australia have also developed settlement schemes for Hongkongers. In February, Canada unveiled its open work permit scheme for anyone from Hong Kong who graduated in the past five years with a postsecondary degree or diploma from a Canadian institution, or one assessed to offer an equivalent qualification.

Last month, the Australian government amended its migration regulations to create a “safe haven” policy for Hongkongers, centred on those currently studying or working in Australia, enabling them to obtain residency in the country in as little as three years if they met certain requirements.

Separate data released on Friday from the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Schemes Authority showed that Hongkongers made 9,300 withdrawals totalling HK$2.6 billion on the grounds of permanent departure from July to September.

That was an increase of about 15 per cent from the 8,100 withdrawals – totalling HK$1.7 billion – from the same quarter last year.

Applicants for early withdrawal must make a statutory declaration saying they are leaving the city permanently.

A BN(O) passport offers holders a route to British citizenship.


The Oxford survey found that, of those considering moving, 43 per cent had not yet decided or did not know when they would go. About 19 per cent said they would move in three to five years, 12 per cent in less than three years and just 3 per cent within a year.

Dr Man-Yee Kan, an associate professor at the University of Oxford’s sociology department and lead researcher on the survey, said most Hongkongers wanted to plan their moves properly and were waiting to see whether the situation in the city improved.

Among those who wanted to move sooner were those with children, with more than 80 per cent saying their children’s future was their biggest personal consideration.

Some 63 per cent believed their earnings would fall in Britain compared with Hong Kong.

Margaret Szeto, founder of migration consultation company Aura Global Limited, said she had seen a significant number of potential BN(O) movers – relatively wealthier than those who moved in the earlier stages of the scheme – delaying their move to Britain based on the prospect of salary cuts.

“Many of them prefer to make more comprehensive arrangements for future living and work in advance, which delayed their move to the UK as a result,” she said.

A 33-year-old IT worker, who declined to give his name, arrived in Britain on Friday after more than a year of planning his family’s Hong Kong exit. He said the decision was motivated by changes to the city’s education system.

He sold his two-bedroom flat in Tseung Kwan O last October for HK$6 million and moved to Birmingham with his wife and two-year-old son.

The IT professional said he would look at finding a job after settling down, supported by the cushion of proceeds from selling the flat and the lower cost of living in the UK.

He said he was hopeful of earning a similar sum to his Hong Kong salary provided he was “well-equipped with the skills needed” for the British market.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×