Chinese Embassy Denounces UK of Interference in Its BNO Visa Program

 BNO passport holders are permitted to apply for permanent residency in the UK after residing in the country for five years, and after an additional year, they can seek British citizenship. A spokesperson from the Chinese embassy informed CGNT that the UK's actions were not aimed at safeguarding the people of Hong Kong, as they claimed, but were intended to tarnish and undermine Hong Kong's reputation. According to the spokesperson, some Hong Kong residents who relocated to the UK have encountered financial hardships and societal discrimination. The spokesperson urged the UK to cease its critical actions and refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs. In 2021, the Chinese Foreign Ministry declared that it would no longer recognize the BNO passport and visa as valid travel and identification documents, with the change scheduled to take effect in January 2021. The Ministry reserved the right to take further actions. British authorities have previously stated that individuals from Hong Kong, along with their family members, can obtain a British National Overseas visa. The UK government clarified in a statement that British national children aged 18 or older, born on or after July 1, 1997, can apply separately from their parents, and their family members are also eligible to apply. The statement emphasized that applicants should wait for a decision on their visa application before traveling to the UK. The introduction of a national security law by China in June 2020 prompted the UK to offer refuge to nearly three million eligible Hong Kong residents with BNO passports, starting from January 31

In 2021, an Al Jazeera report indicated that the five-year visa would cost £250 per person, with an additional mandatory surcharge for access to the UK's state-run health service, amounting to £3,120 for adults and £2,350 for individuals under the age of 18.