PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Immigration: Hong Kong (4 June 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how British National (Overseas) passport holders in Hong Kong can apply for residency in the UK once their British National (Overseas) passports have been relinquished as required by the Chinese government.

Asked by:
Darren Jones (Labour)

China has made the decision to no longer recognise BN(O) passports as valid identity or travel documents. The UK continues to recognise valid BN(O) passports as valid travel and identity documents.

Those wishing to apply to the BN(O) route do not need to apply using their BN(O) passport and can apply using another valid identity document such as a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport. Those applying for the route will need to be able to prove they hold BN(O) status and where an individual is unable to provide their BN(O) passport, eligibility checks can be made using historical records held by Her Majesty’s Passport Office.

Those applying for the route do not need to travel to the UK on their BN(O) passport, but will need another valid travel document in order to travel from Hong Kong given the decision of the Chinese Government not to recognise them.

Answered by:
Kevin Foster (Conservative)
14 June 2021