British officials stopped short of confirming whether the "5+1" pathway to citizenship under the British National (Overseas) visa scheme would be extended to "10+1" during a parliamentary debate on Monday in Westminster Hall, stating only that the government would continue listening to the views of Hong Kong migrants.
The debate was triggered by two online petitions, each surpassing 100,000 signatures, urging the government to maintain the current settlement rules for both BN(O) and Skilled Worker visa.
In a three-hour session, cross-party members of Parliament overwhelmingly urged the government to retain the existing "5+1" arrangement for permanent residency and citizenship.
Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney highlighted significant concerns from her constituency, stating that a shift to "10+1" would severely impact livelihoods, employment, and children's education.
She described the BN(O) visa not as a transitional program but as a moral commitment from the UK.
Multiple MPs representing constituencies with large Hong Kong communities also spoke, opposing the Labour government's proposal to raise the settlement threshold.
The BN(O) visa program, launched in 2021 by the previous administration, allows applicants and their dependents to apply for indefinite leave to remain and citizenship after living in the five years, plus an additional year for naturalization.
However, the new Labour government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer proposed tightening immigration rules, suggesting raising the general settlement requirement from five years to ten.
A government representative at the debate did not explicitly state whether the BN(O) pathway would be changed, reiterating only the need to manage the immigration system carefully.
