Hong Kong UK Welcome Programme
An immigration route opened on 31 January 2021, providing British National (Overseas) [BN(O)] status holders from Hong Kong and their eligible dependants with the opportunity to come to the UK to live, study and work, on a pathway to citizenship.
This route reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to those people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up BN(O) status at the point of Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is leading delivery of a funded national ‘Welcome Programme’ to support those on the BN(O) route and their families to help them to successfully settle in their new communities.
The government is committed to the BN(O) route and to supporting Hong Kongers as they build new lives across the UK. Their contributions enrich our communities, and MHCLG will continue to make sure they feel safe, supported and valued in the UK.
The welcome programme, which will end on 31 March 2026, has helped thousands of BN(O) visa holders settle into life in the UK. As the community becomes more established and arrival numbers decline, the programme is evolving to meet this change in need. BN(O) visa holders will transition to support available through mainstream public services and cross-cohort initiatives.
Eligibility for mainstream English language Provision
Since 1 August 2025, the Department for Education (DfE) has expanded access to English learning through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) by simplifying residency requirements. This enables eligible BN(O)s in England to benefit from mainstream provision, if they are ordinarily resident in the UK, and they meet other criteria linked to their employment and income.
Find out more about the Adult skills fund funding rules.
For English courses in Kent, visit Kent Adult Education.
Welcome pack
The online welcome pack is designed to help BN(O)s settle into life in the UK. It includes advice on how to access the public services that are available. The pack has been updated with the latest information and will remain accessible on GOV.UK. View the welcome pack for arrivals from Hong Kong on the British Nationals (Overseas) Visa.
Should a BN(O) individual face financial hardship in the future, they will retain the option to apply for their ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ (NRPF) condition to be lifted through the Home Office. Apply to change your permission to allow access to public funds.
South East Strategic Partnership for Migration (SESPM)
The South East Strategic Partnership for Migration (SESPM) is the official welcome hub for Hongkonger settling into the South East. Immigration case work support is offered by Citizens Advice North and West Kent (CANWK) for any Hongkonger in the South East, as well as providing training, professional conversion sheets, business support advice and linking Hongkongers in with local authority funded ESOL provision and lots of useful information to help Hongkongers settle into Kent.