BNO visa not impacted by Home Office changes to language requirement for settlement

Yesterday, the Home Office appeared to have exempted BNO Hong Kong visa holders from the new B2 English language requirement for settlement applications. Documents from the Home Office detailing the new language requirement did not include the BNO visa in its scope.

The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood MP, stated that the new B2 English language requirement will go into effect from 26 March 2027, a year later than proposed, for “some” groups that currently need to reach B1 English. An explanatory memorandum of the changes, released yesterday by the Home Office, listed the groups that would be required to meet B2 English after this date. This list did NOT include British National (Overseas) Hong Kong visa holders.

This suggests that a full exemption for BNO visa holders from the new B2 English requirement is on the cards.

The Home Secretary’s comments also raised the possibility of concessions for those on the BNO route, based on the assessment of responses to the consultation. The Home Secretary stated to the House of Commons, “Further changes to English language requirements in relation to settlement applications will be considered in the light of the government’s assessment of responses to the recent consultation on proposals for earned settlement.”

We will continue to advocate for the original terms of the BNO scheme to be upheld in full, including a B1 English language requirement and no minimum income requirement. Thank you to each and every BNO which participated in the consultation or who responded to our large-scale survey, which has helped us to represent the concerns of BNO Hong Kongers at the highest levels.

You can read the Home Secretary’s statement in full here.

You can read the Explanatory Memorandum of the Statement of Changes here.

英國內政部公布新B2級英文水平要求細節 BNO簽證不在其列

昨日，英國內政部公布政策文件，文件顯示香港BNO簽證持有人很有可能不受定居申請的新B2級英文水平語言要求影響。內政部文件就新語言要求列出實施細節，當中BNO簽證未有列入在內。

內政大臣馬曼婷（Shabana Mahmood）宣布，新B2級英文水平語言要求將於2027年3月26日起對「部分」目前需要達到B1級英文水平的群體生效，比原訂計劃延遲一年。內政部昨日發表有關修訂的解釋備忘錄，當中列出自上述日期起需要達到B2級英文水平的群體，香港BNO簽證持有人不在名單上。

這意味着BNO簽證持有人很有可能獲完全豁免新B2級英文水平要求。

內政大臣的評論亦帶出根據對諮詢回應的評估，為BNO簽證持有人設立特別安排的可能性。內相向下議院表示：「政府將根據對最近『賺取式定居』（earned settlement）建議諮詢回應的評估，考慮對定居申請的英文水平語言要求作進一步修訂。」

我們會繼續倡議全面維持BNO計劃原有條款，包括B1級英文水平語言要求和不設最低收入要求。感謝所有參與政府諮詢或回應香港監察大型調查的BNO港人，你們的參與幫助我們向最高層次表達BNO港人的訴求。

內政大臣的完整聲明可在此處閱覽。

修訂聲明解釋備忘錄可在此處閱覽。

Photo: Peter Thomas on Unsplash