- The Home Office replaced BN(O) Household Member with BN(O) Adult Child in HC 584 from October 8, 2026.
- Applications filed before October 8, 2026 will be decided under the rules in force on October 7, 2026.
- Since launch, the BN(O) route has granted 187,552 visas and 38,373 settlement grants.
The UK rewrote its Hong Kong BN(O) family wording on 3 September 2026, deleting “BN(O) Household Member” and replacing it with “BN(O) Adult Child” from 8 October 2026. The change sits in HC 584. The label changes on the calendar.
In the Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 584, 3 September 2026, the Home Office says the amendment lands in paragraph 6.2(b), where it inserts a new definition and removes the old one. The explanatory memorandum calls it a consequential amendment to match HC 1691. The shift is technical, not cosmetic.
A transition rule keeps earlier applications under the old rules. Entry clearance, an Electronic Travel Authorisation, permission to enter, permission to stay, a claim and administrative review lodged before 8 October 2026 will be decided under the Immigration Rules in force on 7 October 2026. The cutoff is explicit.
The new name follows the 2026 expansion that let adult children of BN(O) status holders apply in their own right if they were born on or after 1 July 1979. That line captures people who were minors at the 1997 handover. The age test is now built in.
The BN(O) route began on 31 January 2021. It allows BN(O) passport holders from Hong Kong, and their family members, to live, work and study in the UK. It also requires five years of continuous UK residence for indefinite leave to remain.
The route’s numbers now run through several stages
The route’s counts have climbed in several places. Different series track different stages, but they all point upward. The totals are large.
| Measure | Figure | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| BN(O) visa grants | 5,944 | year ending June 2026 |
| Total BN(O) visa grants since launch | 187,552 | since 31 January 2021 |
| In-country extensions | 54,284 | since launch |
| In-country extensions | 8,025 | year ending June 2026 |
| Settlement grants under the BN(O) route | 38,373 | year ending June 2026 |
| Indefinite leave to remain grants | 9,804 | cumulative |
| Indefinite leave to remain grants | 8,682 | year ending March 2026 |
Families now cross the age line
A 2026 analysis said the new category could bring roughly 26,000 further arrivals before 2031. That estimate rests on the adult-child expansion and the 1 July 1979 birth line. Families are now split by age as well as status.
The route’s first cohort began reaching settlement eligibility in 2026, once five years of continuous residence had elapsed. That is why 2026 statistics already show settlement volume. The clock keeps running.
Until 8 October 2026, caseworkers will keep using the old wording for filings lodged before the switch. That includes entry clearance, ETAs, permission to enter, permission to stay, claims and administrative review. The new label waits on the deadline.
