The British National (Overseas) passports have been criticised[citation needed] for being too expensive, as compared to the HKSAR Passport, which has so far gained visa-free access from a similar number of countries as has the BN(O). [5] The request page, made in the name of the 'Secretary of State' (currently the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs), is also identical to that of a British Citizen passport. BNO passports are governed by the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986, which is an Order-in-Council of the United Kingdom Government. BNO passports were issued to Hong Kong residents born before the handover of the territory from the UK to China in 1997. These are issued by the United Kingdom Government to Hong Kong residents who had British nationality by virtue of a connection with Hong Kong before reunification with China in 1997. The UKâs special visa for BNO passport holders. Under the Immigration Ordinance, six categories of people are eligible to enjoy the right of abode in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Hongkongers born before 1997, when the British colony was returned to China, are eligible to apply for BNO passport. Innovator visa Who is eligible for a BN(O) passport? The British National (Overseas) status itself does not automatically grant the right of abode anywhere (including the United Kingdom and Hong Kong). BN(O) passport holders who possess right of abode in Hong Kong normally use their permanent identity cards to enter Hong Kong. BNO status was not granted automatically; eligible individuals had to register before the end of the transfer of the territory to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Permanent residents of Hong Kong had until 30 June 1997 to voluntarily register themselves as a British National (Overseas). This is clearly a brilliant news to millions of BNO passport holders in Hong Kong (or currently reside in the UK). Holders of BN(O) passports are ineligible to register for the Registered Traveller service for clearing immigration. Before July 2020, holders of BN(O) passports could only visit UK for no more than six months (or three months when arriving from the Republic of Ireland). These passports are also recognised by many other countries for visa-free travel purposes. [10], As of 17 April 2020, the number of valid British National (Overseas) passports in circulation was 357,156. Most immigration officers at major British and European ports of entry have been briefed on the six different classes of British nationality, so that they do not confuse a person using his or her BN(O) passport to cross the borders with other types of British nationals. British Nationals (Overseas) enjoy visa-free access for up to six months as a visitor entering the United Kingdom, however starting from 31 January 2021 holders will be eligible to apply for a five-year visa to work/study in the UK leading to a future pathway to citizenship, following the aftermath of the People's Republic of China's controversial passage of the May 2020 National Security Law. Immediate dependants can include a spouse who doesnât hold a BNO passport or children under the age of 18. Millions of Hong Kong residents hold British National (Overseas), or BNO, passports. Only persons who registered before the reunification of Hong Kong with China are entitled to obtain BNO passports. This page was last edited on 10 December 2020, at 21:10. The peak was reached in 2001, when 170,000 were issued in a single year. [21], British passport for persons with British National (Overseas) status, first issued in 1987 after the Hong Kong Act 1985, from which this new class of British nationality was created, jing1 gwok3 gwok3 man4 (hoi2 ngoi6) wu6 ziu3, After the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong, identification page of British Citizen passports, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies, six different classes of British nationality, Visa requirements for British Nationals (Overseas), nationality law of the People's Republic of China, Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents, "BN(O)ææ人çè±ã5+1ãå¹´å³å¯åå¾è±åå
¬æ°èº«ä»½", "Hong Kong: Dominic Raab offers citizenship rights to 2.9 million British nationals", Number of valid British passports by type, "More Hongkongers renewing British overseas passports amid political unease", "Media factsheet: Hong Kong BN(O)s - Home Office in the media", "British National (Overseas): Passports:Written question - 52461", "FOICR 60516 Jonathan Lam final response.pdf", "UK will increase visa rights if China pursues Hong Kong security law", "Hongkongers with BN(O) passports to be eligible for British citizenship", Passport fees for British nationals overseas reduced by 35%, "UK to extend residence rights for British Nationals (Overseas) citizens in Hong Kong", "HKSAR passport holders can join fast track UK border scheme â but BN(O) holders still ineligible", GBN â British National (Overseas)passport Details information, British Passport : British Hong Kong (1990 â 1997), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport, Hong Kong Document of Identity for Visa Purposes, British Dependent Territories Citizen passport, British passport (Turks and Caicos Islands), British passport (British Virgin Islands), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_National_(Overseas)_passport&oldid=993483126, Hong Kong and the Commonwealth of Nations, Articles containing Chinese-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2014, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. There are an estimated 2.9 million Hongkongers eligible for BNOs and as many as 2.3 million of their dependents, according to a U.K. government People born after that date would only be eligible for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) passports, although BN (O) passport holders could continue to ⦠Example of how to countersign a passport photo: They are not granted Right of Abode anywhere, including the United Kingdom and Hong Kong through their British National (Overseas) status. However, if the parents are BN(O) passport holders, they will also be eligible for this route to obtain British citizenship. The cover of British National (Overseas) passport was originally navy blue, as in all other types of British passport. Currently, BNO passport holders are permitted to visit the UK for up to 6 months without having to apply for a visa. from 1 July 1987 to 21 December 1989, only 15% of newly issued passports were of the BN(O) type; the majority still held the British Dependent Territories Citizen passports). Hong Kong has over 300,000 BNO passport holders who already have the right to visit the UK for up to six months without a visa. You are eligible for a BN(O) Passport if you are a Chinese citizen of Hong Kong who was born before Hong Kongâs handover in 1997. [7] As of 31 December 2015, there were only about 143,200 holders of BN(O) passports.[8]. Holders of BN(O) passports are permanent residents of Hong Kong who were British Dependent Territories citizens until 30 June 1997 and had registered as BN(O)s. From 31 January 2021, BN(O) passport holders can apply for limited leave to remain allowing them to work or study in the UK for 5 years, and then apply for settled status after that. [18] Under Hong Kong and Chinese law, these passports are considered to be travel documents only, and do not confer any rights of citizenship on their holders. Dependants of BNO passport holders who were born after 1 July 1997 are not eligible to apply for a BN(O) passport since they are born after the UKâs handover of Hong Kong to China. Earlier, residents of Hong Kong were Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and their relevant passports bore the texts 'British Passport' at the top and 'Hong Kong' at the bottom of the cover. People born after July 1, 1997, are not eligible to apply even if their parents are BNO passport holders. The British National (Overseas) passport, commonly referred to as the BN(O) passport, is a British passport for persons with British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status. To be eligible for âLeave Outside the Rulesâ they must usually live in Hong Kong. Registration for the BN(O) passports was not regarded as a popular, practical option during the early years (e.g. I was born in Hong Kong in 1990, when the city was still under British rule. Aimed at British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) citizens ordinarily resident in Hong Kong and their immediate family members, holders will be allowed to move to the UK to live, work and study, and in time become eligible to register as British citizens. Holders can live, study and work in the UK for 5 years, after which they can apply for permanent residence and register as a British citizen after a further year's residence. 350,000 holders of BNO passports as of February, according to the U.K. Home Office. Must sign, date and certify 1 of the 2 Passport sized photographs provided (Only 1 photo is to be used the other is to be left blank!) The order created a new nationality status â British Nationality (Overseas) or BNO. British passport eligibility You can apply for a British passport if you have British nationality. The nationality on the machine readable zone, however, is GBN rather than GBR. When resident in the United Kingdom, a BNO passport holder is also entitled to the right to vote in that country. Only British overseas territories citizens from Hong Kong who registered as British nationals (overseas) before 1 July 1997 will be able to apply for their first or re-new their existing British National (Overseas) passports. Children born before 1 July 1997 whose parents have BNO status and whose names are mentioned in their parentsâ BNO passports (i.e the child is listed as an âIncluded Childâ in parentsâ BNO passports, even if the child has never registered in the past.) British National (Overseas) status is a specific type of British nationality. It provides a new route for them to migrant to the UK. British National (Overseas) status is not recognized by the Government of China, so BN(O) passports are not recognized by Mainland China ports of entry controlled by Ministry of Public Security. [13][14] The following statement is printed in each British National (Overseas) passport: In accordance with UK immigration rules the holder of this passport does not require an entry certificate or visa to visit the UK. More than 350,000 people have BNO passports, says the British government, which also estimates that there are 2.9 million who are eligible for BNO status in Hong Kong. With the introduction of biometric passports, the BN(O) passport has recovered credibility among the international community. It was created by the Hong Kong Act 1985 for British Dependent Territories citizens of Hong Kong. [16], Upon crossing the Hong Kong-Mainland China border, those illegal immigrants were easily detected by Hong Kong immigration officers, since the Mandarin-speaking immigrants invariably failed to understand or respond to officers communicating in Cantonese, the first language among Hong Kong's native population.[17]. Based on existing restrictions, as current passport holders die, the number of British National (Overseas) passports in circulation will continue to decline over the next decades and eventually will fall to zero. As of May 2007, there were 800,000 holders of valid BN(O) passports. The holder's page is identical to the identification page of British Citizen passports with the nationality being indicated as British National (Overseas). The UK said it will expand the visa-free access of Hong Kong's BNO passport holders from six months to five years and give them the right to work and study in Britain during that period. [15], In the early years after the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, the issue of counterfeit British National (Overseas) passports aroused international attention and government scrutiny, as such passports were being manufactured and used by illegal immigrants from the mainland of the People's Republic of China, who wished to gain direct access to the United Kingdom by way of Hong Kong. If you need to check whether an individual is a British national (overseas) you can contact the BNO team in Her Majestyâs Passport Office.â Therefore, if 3.4 million persons were initially registered as BN(O)s, 3.4 million would have been issued BN(O) passports. Under the new visa, holders will be permitted to remain in the UK for 5 years, at which point they become eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain. Anyone born before then is eligible to apply for a British National (Overseas) passport, known as a BNO. 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