Hong Kong Demand for British Visas Plunges in Latest Quarter
- Overall applications fell about 44% quarter-on-quarter
- UK launched the visa scheme in response to China’s crackdown
A copy of the British National (Overseas) passport.
Photographer: Paul Yeung/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The number of Hong Kong residents applying for a path to UK citizenship fell 44% in the third quarter, showing that demand for the program is waning almost two years after it was created in response to China’s crackdown on dissent.
Some 10,100 British National (Overseas) passport holders applied for the special long-term visas between July and September, according to data released Thursday by the UK Home Office. That represents the smallest amount number in a three-month period since London began taking applications in January 2021.