London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Aug 28, 2025

Up to 1,000,000 people could arrive in UK from Hong Kong from January

Up to 1,000,000 people could arrive in UK from Hong Kong from January

Up to one million people from Hong Kong could emigrate to the UK in the next five years under new visa arrangements, according to official estimates.

Some 500,000 could arrive in the first year after the visa becomes available in January, the estimations from Home Office officials suggest.

The findings are part of an impact assessment carried out by the department after plans were set out to allow British National (Overseas) (BNO) citizens and their relatives who live in Hong Kong to apply for visas to live and work in the UK.

Officials have stressed that these figures are at the high end of their estimations and may not be reached, particularly because there is a high degree of uncertainty over how many people will take up the offer, given the coronavirus pandemic and other factors.


Pro-democracy protesters are arrested by police in the Causeway Bay district of Hong Kong


Protester Asuka Law, 23, poses with her British National (Overseas) passport in Hong Kong


The assessment also gives ‘central range’ figures, anticipating between 123,000 and 153,700 people could arrive in the first year, with between 258,000 and 322,400 over five years.

At the lower end of the scale, the department estimates as few as 4,000 people could come to the UK in the first year, with up to 9,000 over five years.

The net impact from the arrivals could be between £2.4 billion and £2.9 billion in revenue to the UK over five years, with the majority coming from extra taxes being paid, according to the findings.

Earlier this year, the Home Office announced plans to help grant rights to BNOs who live in Hong Kong so they could come to live and work in the UK if they wanted to leave after.


A woman screams after she was hit with pepper spray by police


It came after the UK suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and slapped an arms embargo on the territory in response to China’s national security law.

Around three million people are thought to be eligible for BNO status and there are around 366,000 passports in circulation.

From January, BNOs and their immediate family can apply for 30-month or five-year visas to live, work and study in the UK and can seek British citizenship once they have been in the country for more than five years.

They will not need a job or a valid passport to apply. They can use an expired passport to provide their identity or the Home Office has pledged to help confirm the status of those without documentation.

Although applicants will be able to access healthcare and go to school, they will not initially have access to benefits and will need to prove they can support themselves financially for the first six months of their stay.

They also have to provide a tuberculosis test certificate and show a commitment to speaking English.

Criminal history will be taken into account but it is unclear how immigration officials will view convictions for participating in protests, which constitute breaking China’s national security laws.

Applicants will have to pay for the visa and the immigration health surcharge. If they wish to remain in the country permanently they will need to later pay a settlement fee of around £2,400.

It is unclear what support may be offered to applicants with financial difficulties.

While the upfront costs of the 30-month visa will be cheaper, it would have to be resubmitted for those keen to stay in the country after it expires.

Before January, people with a valid Hong Kong passport can turn up at the UK border and will be granted entry for six months. They can then apply for the new visas or any others as part of the immigration system where they meet the criteria.

This means young Hongkongers – who may not have an automatic right to move to the UK because they are too young to have BNO status – may be able to enter the UK without their parents and then apply for the youth mobility scheme or as skilled workers under the forthcoming points-based system instead, if eligible.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
×