510 Hong Konger British Nationals (Overseas) status holders have applied to have the ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ (NRPF) visa condition lifted since 2021, over ten times the original number thought to have applied, indicating more significant levels of financial insecurity than previously thought. In spite of local authorities having access to funds to support Hong Kongers at risk of destitution, data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) shows that few are taking up such funding, risking a mismatch between the growing need and the support available.
In 2021, the UK Government set up the British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) humanitarian visa scheme in response to China’s passing of the National Security Law, offering British Nationals (Overseas) status holders from Hong Kong the opportunity to live, work and study in the UK. Since the start of the scheme, the UK has welcomed around 158,000 BN(O) status holders (Home Office, 2024) to the UK and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have led a funded national ‘Welcome Programme’ to support BN(O)s with settling and integrating into their new communities.
Whilst many BN(O) status holders have benefitted from the ‘Welcome Programme’ to access ESOL classes, employment and training opportunities, there remains a more hidden group who have experienced significant financial hurdles settling in the UK and who remain hidden from the official statistics.
Hong Kong BN(O) households and the NRPF visa condition
Unlike other recent bespoke humanitarian visa schemes set up for Ukrainian and Afghan nationals, Hong Kong BN(O) households are subject to the UK’s ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) visa condition, unable to access the welfare safety net, even when facing financial hardship. A survey of BN(O) households indicated that “more than one in five are living beyond their means, and almost one in ten have no savings to draw on.” (Rolfe & Benson, 2023). A recent report  (Rolfe & Lau, 2024) highlighted the financial challenges many Hong Konger households have faced settling in the UK, often finding living costs and university tuition fees higher than anticipated, struggling with no credit history and rapidly working their way through the savings they had set aside for buying property or setting up businesses.
BN(O) households can apply to have the NRPF visa condition lifted if they are facing destitution, however research highlights that most Hong Kongers are unaware of this possibility and would be reluctant to apply even if facing financial hardship due to a lack of understanding of their rights in the UK and the fear of ramifications of applying for further support (Rolfe & Benson, 2023; Rolfe & Lau, 2024). Some Hong Kongers may even interpret NRPF as not being entitled to any information from public organisations, including schools and JobCentre Plus and therefore may be reluctant to approach support services even for advice (Benson & Rolfe, 2023; Rolfe & Lau, 2024). The Home Office publish data every quarter on the number of visa holders applying to have the NRPF visa condition lifted. At an initial glance, the number of BN(O) status holders appears to be low (34 applications since 2021), however the Home Office have confirmed that BN(O) status holders applying to have their NRPF condition lifted do not form part of the published migration transparency data. The published Change of Conditions data only includes Hong Kong nationals who are on a family / private life route to settlement in the UK, not those on BN(O) visas. However, Freedom of Information requests to the Home Office indicate that in fact 510 BN(O) status holders have applied to have the NRPF condition lifted since 2021, over ten times the original number thought to have applied.
Source: Home Office data on the numbers of people on the BN(O) visa route applying to have the NRPF visa condition lifted, acquired through a COMPAS Freedom of Information Request in 2023
Of the 160 nationalities applying to have the NRPF condition lifted, Hong Kongers on the BN(O) visa route are in the top 10 as the 8th largest nationality group. Whilst it is still a small percentage of the total applications (only 4.2%), if we include all Hong Kong nationals, including those on the family/private route to settlement and the BNO route, Hong Kongers are the 7th largest nationality to apply to have the NRPF condition lifted.
Source: Author’s analysis of publicly available Change of Conditions data, UK Visa & Immigration Transparency Data, Table CoC 03 and Home Office data on the numbers of Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders on the BN(O) visa route applying to have the NRPF visa condition lifted, acquired through a COMPAS Freedom of Information Request in 2023
The Welcome Programme for Hong Kong BN(O) status holders includes funding for local authorities in England to provide support to BN(O) status holders who are destitute or at risk of destitution. A follow-up FOI request to MHCLG indicates that this funding, which can be claimed for the reimbursement of costs up to £2,720 per household, has been claimed for 12 BN(O) households since 2021. This demonstrates a large gap between the numbers of Hong Konger households applying for the change of conditions and those receiving the support from their local authority to do so.
This data indicates the need for better transparency on the Change of Conditions data in the UK, clearer information on rights and entitlements for Hong Kongers and local authorities and a review of the use of the NRPF condition for Hong Kongers on the BN(O) scheme given the increasing need for the change of conditions procedure.