The Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) Visa allows eligible Hong Kong BN(O) citizens to live, work, and study in the UK. If you have been granted an initial BNO visa for 30 months or 5 years, you are eligible to apply for an extension. This application must be submitted before your current visa expires. Provided you apply before the expiry date, you can continue to live and work in the UK under the same conditions as your previous visa until a decision is made on your extension application.
It advisable to apply for your extension no earlier than 28 days before your visa expires. There is no limit to the number of times you can extend your BNO visa.
Family members can also apply to extend their BNO visa. Each family member must submit their own application. The process and requirements will depend on their age and dependency status. Subsequently, children under 18 must apply to extend their visa along with both parents, provided both hold a BNO visa, unless:
Children will need to use the extension reference number of their parents' application to link the applications.
Partners, children over 18, and adult dependent relatives can apply separately from the main applicant and do not need to prove their relationship to the main applicant. If a relationship ends, a partner can independently apply to extend their visa.
To apply for an extension, you need to complete an online application. You will be required to prove your identity, which can be done in one of two ways, depending on your passport type:
You can find your local UKVCAS service point using the link here.
The visa application fee must be paid for each applicant:
Furthermore, you and your family members will need to pay the Immigration Healthcare Surcharge (IHS) to access the NHS. The current costs are:
The IHS is payable as part of your online visa application.
If you are extending your visa for 30 months and receive benefits, you are exempt from paying the application fee and healthcare surcharge. However, this exemption does not apply to extensions for 60 months. Proof of receiving benefits and inability to pay the fees must be provided.
Decisions on applications are usually made within 12 weeks. The 12-week period starts from the date of online submission if using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app or from the appointment date at a UKVCAS service point.
Applications might take longer if additional verification is needed, an interview is required, or there are criminal convictions to consider.
You can remain in the UK while awaiting a decision. However, you must not travel outside the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man until a decision is made. Family members' decisions might be received at different times, which does not imply that their applications have been unsuccessful.
For more detailed guidance or assistance with your application, please contact our team at Paragon Law. We are here to help you navigate the complexities of the BNO Visa extension process.