Keep 5-year ILR terms to Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visas
114,605 people signed this petition to the UK Parliament after it opened on 25 June 2025; it closed on 25 December 2025. The Government responded on 11 July 2025. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 8 September 2025.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Keep 5-year ILR terms to Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visas
We urge the Government to exempt BN(O) visa for Hongkongers from the proposed immigration reforms. We think the current ILR terms must remain unchanged:
1. Five years of UK residency
2. B1 level English proficiency
3. Passing the Life in the UK Test
Many Hongkongers on the BN(O) visa, including retired seniors, have started a new life in the UK after the imposition of the National Security Law. They followed the rules with the understanding that after five years, they could settle permanently if they met the English and civic knowledge requirements. We think changing these terms would break the UK's promises and cause stress and uncertainty for those who trusted in this humanitarian route. We urge the Government to honour its original commitment.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 11 July 2025; the petitions site lists the Home Office as responsible. Its summary:
We are firmly committed to the existing Hong Kong community in the UK and all those who will arrive in future. Further details of measures in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in due course.
The response in full:
Settlement in the UK is a prerequisite for becoming a British citizen and brings lifelong benefits. Settlement is also an important step in integrating and contributing to local communities and the wider country.
As stated in the Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May, we therefore intend to reform the current rules around settlement so that individuals must earn their right to that privileged immigration status in the UK through the long-term contribution they bring to our country. It is also important that those coming to the UK are able to integrate into society. English language requirements along with the Life in the UK test are essential in supporting that integration.
The reforms to earned settlement set out in the White Paper will be set out in detail later this year, and there will be an opportunity for everyone to contribute to the consultation on those changes. We recognise how important this issue is to the Hong Kong community, and we will listen carefully to what they tell us in that consultation before taking any final decisions on how the new rules will operate, which immigration routes they will affect, and when the changes will take effect. In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.
The detail of the new English Language requirements in relation to specific routes will be set out in due course when changes to the Immigration Rules introducing the new requirements are brought forward, as well as any further details about changes to the Life in the UK Test. Again, we will take all views submitted to the Home Office by the Hong Kong community into account as part of that process.
We thank the petitioners for sharing their views ahead of the consultation and look forward to hearing from them again once they have had the chance to review the final proposals in detail. We will also continue to engage regularly with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on any other issues related to the BN(O) visa as part of our ongoing commitment to support that community.
Home Office
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies. Measured against each constituency's electorate at the 2024 general election, the most came from Solihull West and Shirley, with 34.5 signatures per 1,000 electors (2,477 in all).
112,895 of the signatures were from the UK and 1,710 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures | Electorate, July 2024 | Per 1,000 electors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solihull West and Shirley | 2,477 | 71,816 | 34.5 |
| Warrington South | 2,575 | 78,394 | 32.8 |
| Sutton and Cheam | 2,152 | 72,303 | 29.8 |
| Salford | 2,108 | 83,633 | 25.2 |
| Filton and Bradley Stoke | 1,916 | 77,582 | 24.7 |
| Altrincham and Sale West | 1,753 | 74,025 | 23.7 |
| Earley and Woodley | 1,694 | 73,548 | 23.0 |
| Milton Keynes Central | 1,761 | 81,078 | 21.7 |
| Broxtowe | 1,499 | 70,440 | 21.3 |
| Wokingham | 1,493 | 75,082 | 19.9 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| North West | 24,248 |
| South East | 20,455 |
| London | 17,217 |
| West Midlands | 12,778 |
| East Midlands | 10,196 |
| East of England | 8,018 |
| South West | 6,697 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 5,444 |
| Scotland | 3,740 |
| Wales | 1,470 |
| North East | 1,327 |
| Northern Ireland | 430 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 8 September 2025. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/727356.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
4121bd01373be2ae… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.