350,000 holders of BNO passports as of February, according to the U.K. Home Office. [15], In the early years after the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, the issue of counterfeit British National (Overseas) passports aroused international attention and government scrutiny, as such passports were being manufactured and used by illegal immigrants from the mainland of the People's Republic of China, who wished to gain direct access to the United Kingdom by way of Hong Kong. Currently there is an estimated 2.9 million people who are eligible to apply for BN(O) Passports and around 300,000 Hong Kong people currently hold one. As of May 2007, there were 800,000 holders of valid BN(O) passports. Aimed at British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) citizens ordinarily resident in Hong Kong and their immediate family members, holders will be allowed to move to the UK to live, work and study, and in time become eligible to register as British citizens. Fill in and sign section [10] of the Passport application form, taking care to include valid contact details, address and valid Passport information. Must sign, date and certify 1 of the 2 Passport sized photographs provided (Only 1 photo is to be used the other is to be left blank!) During and after the 2014 Hong Kong Protests, many BN(O) holders began to renew their passports with 22,022 renewals in 2014, this was up from 7,654 in 2011. The British National (Overseas) passport, commonly referred to as the BN(O) passport, is a British passport for persons with British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status. The British National (Overseas) status itself does not automatically grant the right of abode anywhere (including the United Kingdom and Hong Kong). In this case, the following statement is printed in their BN(O) passport:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}. Most immigration officers at major British and European ports of entry have been briefed on the six different classes of British nationality, so that they do not confuse a person using his or her BN(O) passport to cross the borders with other types of British nationals. Those eligible are advised to apply for a passport ahead of time if they think they will want to apply to the BNO route in the future. If the holder of BN(O) passport presents his or her Hong Kong Identity Card to enter Macao, the visa-free access period is lengthened to one year (12 months)[citation needed]. If you are not already a British national (overseas), you cannot apply Under Hong Kong and Chinese law, these passports are considered to be travel documents only, and do not confer any rights of citizenship on their holders. [7] As of 31 December 2015, there were only about 143,200 holders of BN(O) passports.[8]. With the introduction of biometric passports, the BN(O) passport has recovered credibility among the international community. Currently, BNO passport holders are permitted to visit the UK for up to 6 months without having to apply for a visa. Only persons who registered before the reunification of Hong Kong with China are entitled to obtain BNO passports. These are issued by the United Kingdom Government to Hong Kong residents who had British nationality by virtue of a connection with Hong Kong before reunification with China in 1997. Millions of Hong Kong residents hold British National (Overseas), or BNO, passports. They can, however, register with a HKSAR passport if they have one. Holders of BN(O) passports are permanent residents of Hong Kong who were British Dependent Territories citizens until 30 June 1997 and had registered as BN(O)s. From 31 January 2021, BN(O) passport holders can apply for limited leave to remain allowing them to work or study in the UK for 5 years, and then apply for settled status after that. Some 2.6 million out of the 3.4 million British Nationals (Overseas) did not renew their passports upon expiry. Therefore, BN(O)s who wish to visit Mainland China must obtain Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents in advance. After the passage of the Hong Kong national security law, the UK government made it possible for BN(O) holders to move to the UK permanently through a series of steps. Permanent residents of Hong Kong had until 30 June 1997 to voluntarily register themselves as a British National (Overseas). British National (Overseas) status is a specific type of British nationality. However, if the parents are BN(O) passport holders, they will also be eligible for this route to obtain British citizenship. This endorsement is identical to the one appearing on passports of British citizens from Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man without a qualifying connection, for more than five years, to the United Kingdom by descent or residency. The British National Overseas (BNO) passport is a travel document that allows people to get consular assistance and protection from UK diplomatic posts. Based on existing restrictions, as current passport holders die, the number of British National (Overseas) passports in circulation will continue to decline over the next decades and eventually will fall to zero. As a result, the fee for renewing BN(O) passports was reduced by 35% as of April 2014. BN(O) passports are currently issued in their latest biometric versions (as of 2020) and they bear the "electronic travel document symbol" () on the navy blue coloured cover. [21], British passport for persons with British National (Overseas) status, first issued in 1987 after the Hong Kong Act 1985, from which this new class of British nationality was created, jing1 gwok3 gwok3 man4 (hoi2 ngoi6) wu6 ziu3, After the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong, identification page of British Citizen passports, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies, six different classes of British nationality, Visa requirements for British Nationals (Overseas), nationality law of the People's Republic of China, Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents, "BN(O)持有人留英「5+1」年即可取得英國公民身份", "Hong Kong: Dominic Raab offers citizenship rights to 2.9 million British nationals", Number of valid British passports by type, "More Hongkongers renewing British overseas passports amid political unease", "Media factsheet: Hong Kong BN(O)s - Home Office in the media", "British National (Overseas): Passports:Written question - 52461", "FOICR 60516 Jonathan Lam final response.pdf", "UK will increase visa rights if China pursues Hong Kong security law", "Hongkongers with BN(O) passports to be eligible for British citizenship", Passport fees for British nationals overseas reduced by 35%, "UK to extend residence rights for British Nationals (Overseas) citizens in Hong Kong", "HKSAR passport holders can join fast track UK border scheme – but BN(O) holders still ineligible", GBN – British National (Overseas)passport Details information, British Passport : British Hong Kong (1990 — 1997), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport, Hong Kong Document of Identity for Visa Purposes, British Dependent Territories Citizen passport, British passport (Turks and Caicos Islands), British passport (British Virgin Islands), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_National_(Overseas)_passport&oldid=993483126, Hong Kong and the Commonwealth of Nations, Articles containing Chinese-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2014, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The nationality on the machine readable zone, however, is GBN rather than GBR. As of January 2021, the UK will allow individuals living in Hong Kong with rights to a BNO passport and their immediate dependants to apply for a special UK visa. [19], From 31 January 2021, BN(O) holders will be able to apply for the right to work and study in the UK for a period of up to five years with limited leave to remain (known as the BN(O) visa). People who chose to remain as BDTCs, however, would only be able to renew their BDTC passports for a restricted validity until 30 June 1997, while those who registered as BN(O)s would receive BN(O) passports valid for a full ten years. The British National (Overseas) citizenship status, commonly known as BNO's, is one of the major classes of British Nationality under British Nationality Law.Holders of this nationality are Commonwealth Citizens, but not British Citizens. After five years they could apply for "settled status" and then register as a British citizen after another year.[20]. [5] The request page, made in the name of the 'Secretary of State' (currently the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs), is also identical to that of a British Citizen passport. To be eligible for ‘Leave Outside the Rules’ they must usually live in Hong Kong. The passport was first issued in 1987 after the Hong Kong Act 1985, from which this new class of British nationality was created. BNO passports were issued to Hong Kong residents born before the handover of the territory from the UK to China in 1997. Dependants of BNO passport holders who were born after 1 July 1997 are not eligible to apply for a BN(O) passport since they are born after the UK’s handover of Hong Kong to China. This makes the number of visa-free countries of the BN(O) passport comparatively smaller. The order created a new nationality status – British Nationality (Overseas) or BNO. The British National (Overseas) passport, commonly referred to as the BN(O) passport, is a British passport for persons with British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status. Anyone born before then is eligible to apply for a British National (Overseas) passport, known as a BNO. Published 25 August 2015 Last updated 15 July 2020 — see all updates Use this guide to help you apply for a British National Overseas (BNO) passport from Hong Kong. This is something the UK considers a violation of the principle of 'One country, two systems' as set out by the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984, an internationally binding treaty.[4]. It was agreed by Britain and China in an annex to the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 (which led to the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty) that such people would be entitled to continue to use British travel documents for their lifetime. BNO passports are governed by the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986, which is an Order-in-Council of the United Kingdom Government. Hongkongers born before 1997, when the British colony was returned to China, are eligible to apply for BNO passport. “Today, about 350,000 of the territory’s people hold British National (Overseas) passports and another 2.5 million would be eligible to apply for them. The passport was first issued in 1987 after the Hong Kong Act 1985,[2] from which this new class of British nationality was created. The machine-readable zone starts with P Best Brazilian Wax, The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao Summary Chapter 3, Impact Investing: Private Equity, Berlin Ohio Amish Quilts, Klipsch Wa-2 Specs, Pine Grove School Calendar, Wedding Dress Under $1000, Arden Selections Outdoor Deep Seat Set,