A London-based community group, Sutton Hongkongers, has kicked off a nationwide lobbying drive after the UK Government put forward proposals that would tighten the pathway from the British National (Overseas) visa to citizenship.
Published for consultation earlier this week, the Home Office paper keeps the existing five-year route to indefinite leave to remain (ILR) for BN(O) status holders but adds tougher English-language requirements and—most controversially—a proposed minimum annual income of £12,570 for three to five consecutive years. Although that threshold mirrors the current personal allowance for income-tax purposes, many recent arrivals working part-time or retraining fear they could fall short, especially if the figure is uprated by inflation before they reach the ILR stage.
![Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders launch grassroots campaign against stricter UK citizenship rules]()
Sutton councillor Richard Choi, who founded Sutton Hongkongers after the BN(O) scheme opened in 2021, told reporters that more than 50 pieces of testimony had been collected within 24 hours. Members describe a sense that “the goalposts are moving” and that promises made by successive UK governments are being diluted. The group is encouraging BN(O) families to submit formal responses ahead of the February 2026 deadline and is seeking meetings with MPs in key constituencies with sizeable Hongkonger communities such as Sutton, Milton Keynes and Manchester.
For employers, the episode is a reminder that even supposedly ‘ring-fenced’ visa categories can become subject to wider political pressure. Companies relying on BN(O) talent—particularly in hospitality, health care and the creative sectors—may wish to support staff by offering English-language tuition or clarifying overtime arrangements that will help workers hit the earnings benchmark.
The consultation closes at 23:59 GMT on 12 February 2026. If adopted in full, the new conditions could start to apply to ILR applications filed from April 2026 onward, meaning the first BN(O) arrivals (granted leave in early 2021) would be caught. Immigration advisers therefore recommend that eligible BN(O) residents who already meet the current rules consider submitting their ILR applications as soon as possible.
Published for consultation earlier this week, the Home Office paper keeps the existing five-year route to indefinite leave to remain (ILR) for BN(O) status holders but adds tougher English-language requirements and—most controversially—a proposed minimum annual income of £12,570 for three to five consecutive years. Although that threshold mirrors the current personal allowance for income-tax purposes, many recent arrivals working part-time or retraining fear they could fall short, especially if the figure is uprated by inflation before they reach the ILR stage.
Sutton councillor Richard Choi, who founded Sutton Hongkongers after the BN(O) scheme opened in 2021, told reporters that more than 50 pieces of testimony had been collected within 24 hours. Members describe a sense that “the goalposts are moving” and that promises made by successive UK governments are being diluted. The group is encouraging BN(O) families to submit formal responses ahead of the February 2026 deadline and is seeking meetings with MPs in key constituencies with sizeable Hongkonger communities such as Sutton, Milton Keynes and Manchester.
For employers, the episode is a reminder that even supposedly ‘ring-fenced’ visa categories can become subject to wider political pressure. Companies relying on BN(O) talent—particularly in hospitality, health care and the creative sectors—may wish to support staff by offering English-language tuition or clarifying overtime arrangements that will help workers hit the earnings benchmark.
The consultation closes at 23:59 GMT on 12 February 2026. If adopted in full, the new conditions could start to apply to ILR applications filed from April 2026 onward, meaning the first BN(O) arrivals (granted leave in early 2021) would be caught. Immigration advisers therefore recommend that eligible BN(O) residents who already meet the current rules consider submitting their ILR applications as soon as possible.
