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Hongkongers seeking UK citizenship decry fee hikes, fearing more set to come
Residents using BN(O) visa scheme face 40 per cent increase in associated fees compared with what authorities charged in 2021
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BN(O) passport | Britain
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Cannix Yau
Published: 9:55pm, 25 Jan 2025Updated: 9:57pm, 25 Jan 2025
Hongkongers moving to Britain via a bespoke immigration pathway have expressed concerns more fee hikes will be imposed by authorities in relation to the visa scheme following increases in associated charges.
The country’s Home Office last week proposed to increase four immigration fees, including the newly implemented Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) application fee from £10 (US$12.42) to £16, a 60 per cent increase.
The cost of applying for naturalisation as a British citizen would also increase from £1,500 to £1,605.
Authorities claimed the adjustments were intended to reduce the immigration and border system’s reliance on public funds, and were expected to bring in about £270 million. The request for the increases is likely to pass under the Labour-controlled Parliament.
Currently, new applicants for the British National (Overseas) visa scheme must pay a fee ranging from £180 to £250, as well as an annual Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) of £1,035 per adult.
After residing in the United Kingdom for five years and meeting certain residency requirements, one can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), which costs £2,885.
After another year under “immigration watch,” one can apply for British citizenship. BN(O) passport holders can apply for citizenship through “registration,” while dependants holding Hong Kong passports must apply through “naturalisation”.
The “5+1” bespoke immigration pathway scheme has seen a drastic increase in fees over the years, leaving Hong Kong migrants feeling increasingly burdened.
Records show that the government began charging for ILR applications in 2003, with the amount set at £155. By 2015, the fee had increased tenfold to £1,500, with the Premium Service priced at £1,900. By 2018, it had risen to £2,389.
When the BN(O) visa scheme was introduced in 2021, the annual IHS per adult was only £624, but it was increased to £1,035 last February.
Assuming no change in IHS and ILR fees over the next six years, a BN(O) passport holder applying for a five-year visa today, along with ILR and registration for citizenship, would need at least £9,661, and those applying for naturalisation after the new price takes effect would need £9,915. The fees represent a 40 per cent increase over the £6,965 and £7,089 Hong Kong migrants paid at the beginning of 2021.
Quentin Cheng, 40, who moved to Leeds with his wife in 2021 and earns about £1,500 per month selling toys, said the increase in the naturalisation fee would certainly worsen his financial burden.
“The BN(O) visa scheme is very different to other immigration schemes. The UK government should treat it differently from others and shouldn’t increase this burden on us,” he said.
Cheng said he was deeply worried authorities would use different excuses to increase other fees associated with the scheme.
“It is not about the economy. It’s about the UK government’s poor fiscal policies, which spend money on the wrong things,” he said.
Hong Kong families find fresh start in London
A 40-year-old housewife who moved to London two years ago with a family of three via the scheme and who only gave her name as Tiffany, said the fee hike was not a surprise given how cash-strapped the government was.
“The amount is insignificant in the big scheme of things. But they should have planned it better – get the number right the first time instead of making tiny increases over time. It’s not easy to keep up with all these changes,” she said.
“The change alone is unlikely going to affect the decision to move to or stay in the UK. But together with other issues or the missteps the Labour Party has made, the country is a much less appealing destination.
“The government is financially illiterate and dysfunctional.”
Krish Kandiah, chairman of the Welcoming Committee for Hongkongers, a non-profit group, said the price increase was relatively small.
“I don’t think this will impact those seeking to build a new life in the UK,” he said. “In my experience, the vast majority of Hongkongers coming to the UK have found a warm welcome.”
