How many years does it take to get permanent residence with BNO visa? 5-Year ILR Path with 2026 Fees

Many of the people whose BN(O) visas were opened in January 2021 have passed their fifth year this year. I receive similar messages every week in the background: "I will land in February 2021. Will I be able to apply for permanent residence next year?" "I heard that permanent residence will be changed to 10 years. Is our BNO waiting in vain?"

Let’s put the most important sentence first: As of August 2026 in , the five-year permanent residence path of BN(O) has not changed. will break down the details below.

How many years does it take to get permanent residence in the UK with BNO visa? How to start counting 5 years?

Holders of BN(O) visa (Hong Kong British National (Overseas) route) can apply for permanent residence (ILR / Indefinite Leave to Remain) after having lived legally in the UK for 5 consecutive years. Two points that are easily confused:

First, the starting date of is the day you actually enter the UK, , not the date of visa approval. If a person gets a visa in Hong Kong but flies three months late, those three months will not count.

Second, the time spent on other visas leading to permanent residence (such as Skilled Worker, spouse visa) can be rolled into these 5 years - but the latest status in hand when submits for permanent residence must be BN(O). Many people study first and then transfer to BNO. The years in the student stage are not counted because student itself does not lead to permanent residence.

Permanent residence can be submitted 28 days in advance. People who land on February 20, 2021, can press the button as early as January 23, 2026, and do not have to wait for five years.

Will the new 10-year permanent residence rule affect the BNO visa?

On November 20, 2025, the Ministry of the Interior launched a public consultation on "earned settlement". The core is to increase the standard permanent residence period from 5 years to 10 years. The consultation ended on February 12, 2026, with more than 200,000 responses received, making it the largest in British immigration history.

The government confirmed in both the consultation document and the parliamentary debate in January 2026: BN(O) holders who are close relatives of British citizens will retain the 5-year route. The relevant rules of have not yet been submitted to the parliament, and the official target is that they will be implemented in the fall of 2026 at the earliest. So the current situation is - the direction is clear, the provisions are undecided, and BNO is temporarily on the protection list.

Suggestion: Don’t delay the delivery of . The safest approach during the policy window period is to apply as soon as the conditions are met, rather than "we are protected anyway."

How is continuous residence calculated for BNO permanent residence? 180 days is the easiest time to step into a trap

Within 5 years, no more than 180 days abroad in any rolling 12-month period. The word "rolling" is the key - not by calendar year, nor by visa year, but by from the day you submit it, and each 12-month period must pass the inspection separately .

Typical rollover scenario: Return to Hong Kong to take care of family for 100 days in October 2024, and return for another 80 days in May 2025. Looking at each natural year alone, it does not exceed the limit, but the total number of days in the rolling window from October 2024 to October 2025 is more than 180 - directly blocked. This kind of accounting cannot be calculated in the brain. It is safest to use 永居计算器APP to run through the entry and exit records every day.

BNO permanent residence examination, fees and naturalization timetable

Applicants aged 18 to 64 need to pass Life in the UK Test and provide CEFR B1 (listening and listening) English certificate. Whether the English threshold will be raised to B2 in the future, the official direction has been released, but it is subject to the official announcement of GOV.UK.

In terms of fees, the permanent residence application fee will be £3,226 per person from April 8, 2026, which is nearly £13,000 for a family of four. Please prepare it a few months in advance. The IHS for the BNO visa stage has been paid once when applying for the visa, and no additional payment will be required for the permanent residence stage.

After obtaining permanent residence, BN(O) itself has British nationality status. can usually apply for naturalization (commonly known as 5+1) after living for another year. Naturalization also depends on the residence record: no more than 450 days of absence in the 5 years before application, and no more than 90 days in the last 12 months.

If your entry and exit records are complicated, or you changed visa types midway and are not sure how to get the visa, you can spend £5 on justiscript.com to have a British licensed lawyer respond to a specific question in writing within 24 hours. It is more reliable than guessing each other in the group.

🕊️ This article is for reference only. Please consult a licensed attorney for specific questions.

[Data source] gov.uk/british-national-overseas-bno-visa | gov.uk Immigration Rules and BN(O) Path Processing Guidelines (Updated on April 8, 2026) | Ministry of Home Affairs Earned Settlement Consultation Document

Let’s chat in the comment area: When does your BNO five years start? How many times have you been back to Hong Kong and how many days have you spent in total?

If you are counting the days and find this article useful, bookmark this article and check it out again when you are about to apply for permanent residence.

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