Nearly one-third of Hongkongers planning to settle in the UK under the British National (Overseas) visa scheme are retirees, homemakers or students, groups likely to be affected by a proposed income threshold for immigrants, a survey has shown.
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It also found that 16 per cent of BN(O) visa holders who had only completed secondary school might struggle to meet the tougher English-language requirement, according to a survey by the London-based Sutton Hongkongers group.
The survey interviewed 690 Hongkongers on the BN(O) route across the country between October and November.
“We hope [the British government] will honour its commitments – trust is important,” said Richard Choi Ka-yuen, a city councillor in the London Borough of Sutton and founder of the community group.
“The BN(O) visa was offered as an invitation, based on the promises given back then. Now that Hongkongers have signed up and are already on the route, adding new conditions or amending the requirements is unfair.”
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Choi said that if the government changed its policy now, people would begin to worry about the ‘5+1’ pathway.