Residents of Hong Kong can apply, starting on Sunday (31), for a new visa offering them an opportunity to become British citizens as the United Kingdom opens its doors to those wanting to escape China’s crackdown on dissent in the semi-autonomous city.
The visa, is open to holders of a British National (Overseas) passport and their immediate dependents. It will offer a fast track to UK citizenship.
From Sunday afternoon, anyone with a British National Overseas (BNO) passport and their dependents will be able to apply online for a visa allowing them to live and work in the UK. After five years, they can then apply for citizenship. The UK launched the new visa after China imposed a new security law.
But the Chinese foreign ministry said it would no longer recognise the BNO passport as a travel document.
Those who apply and secure the visa will be able to apply for settlement after five years and then British citizenship after a further 12 months.
Beijing has previously warned the UK not to meddle in domestic issues.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the move honoured the UK's "profound ties of history and friendship" with the ex-British colony.
The visa scheme is a response to Beijing’s decision last year to impose a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong, a former British colony, to snuff out huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests.
The UK said the law which punishes subversion, collusion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces breaches the terms of agreements under which Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997. London has argued it has a moral duty to the people of Hong Kong.
The UK predicted up to 154,000 Hong Kongers could arrive during the next year and as many as 322,000 across five years.
Earlier this week, the British government said some 7,000 Hong Kong people with BNO status have arrived in the country since July. They moved under a separate Leave Outside the Rules system, and will also be able to apply for the pathway-to-citizenship visas.
The UK introduced BNO passports in the 1980s for people who were a “British dependent territories citizen by connection with Hong Kong”.
The visa, is open to holders of a British National (Overseas) passport and their immediate dependents. It will offer a fast track to UK citizenship.
From Sunday afternoon, anyone with a British National Overseas (BNO) passport and their dependents will be able to apply online for a visa allowing them to live and work in the UK. After five years, they can then apply for citizenship. The UK launched the new visa after China imposed a new security law.
But the Chinese foreign ministry said it would no longer recognise the BNO passport as a travel document.
Those who apply and secure the visa will be able to apply for settlement after five years and then British citizenship after a further 12 months.
Beijing has previously warned the UK not to meddle in domestic issues.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the move honoured the UK's "profound ties of history and friendship" with the ex-British colony.
The visa scheme is a response to Beijing’s decision last year to impose a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong, a former British colony, to snuff out huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests.
The UK said the law which punishes subversion, collusion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces breaches the terms of agreements under which Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997. London has argued it has a moral duty to the people of Hong Kong.
The UK predicted up to 154,000 Hong Kongers could arrive during the next year and as many as 322,000 across five years.
Earlier this week, the British government said some 7,000 Hong Kong people with BNO status have arrived in the country since July. They moved under a separate Leave Outside the Rules system, and will also be able to apply for the pathway-to-citizenship visas.
The UK introduced BNO passports in the 1980s for people who were a “British dependent territories citizen by connection with Hong Kong”.
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