BN(O) Visa-Holders and Their Children: Survey on the Impact of Proposed Immigration Policy Changes
Hong Kong Well UK’s Recommendations
A spokesperson for HK Well UK:
“The BN(O) visa route was established as a bespoke humanitarian pathway in response to the imposition of the National Security Law in Hong Kong. It was specifically designed to provide a clear and credible route to settlement, promoting stability and long-term integration—particularly for children and young people. The official promise was “a new life for BN(O) holders and their families.”
“The UK Government has demonstrated its commitment to this mission by publicly allocating at least £43 million to help Hongkongers settle in the UK from 2021. As a partner in this effort, Hong Kong Well UK was awarded £350,000 of this funding specifically over the years to support the mental well-being and integration of children and young people.”
“The findings of this survey demonstrate that the proposed changes are acting as a catalyst for a mental health crisis among the very children the UK promised to protect. To force these families into a second migration would be a humanitarian failure. The UK has invested millions in successful integration—it must not now undermine that investment by uprooting settled families. “
“We urge the Home Office to introduce fair transitional arrangements allowing existing BN(O) families already in the UK to remain subject to the original ILR requirements to safeguard the welfare of these children and to uphold the integrity and original intent of the BN(O) route.”
“This is not a request for preferential treatment, but for transitional protection that recognises the legitimate reliance placed on the original BN(O) framework. Similar exemptions have previously been granted to migrants under the High Skill Migrants Program where policy changes would otherwise operate retrospectively and unfairly, and where families had already made irreversible life decisions based on a clear pathway to settlement.”
End
Release Date: 2nd February 2026
This document is the official version. A Word version has been provided to journalists for ease of use, but only this version should be treated as the official release. Any altered copies of the Word file are not authorised.
