Study Reveals Employment Struggles for Hongkongers in the UK Under BNO Visa Scheme

Simon Cheng (front left) and Finn Lau (Center) in a March commemorating the two-year anniversary of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement in London on June 12, 2021. Yanning Qi/The Epoch Times

The UK’s BNO visa scheme, designed to facilitate Hong Kong residents’ relocation, has been operational for over two years. New research suggests that almost half of the Hongkongers who have taken advantage of this scheme face significant challenges in finding employment in the UK. Additionally, many are earning salaries below the UK’s national median for hourly and annual wages. With almost 50 percent reporting a career switch since their move, experts point to language and cultural adaptation as areas needing urgent attention.

To date, the UK government has not released comprehensive data regarding the settlement and employment status of Hong Kong immigrants. Addressing this gap, Assistant Professor Tse Fuk Ying from the University of Birmingham Business School partnered with the advocacy group West Midlands Hongkongers Support CIC to conduct an in-depth study. The online survey, which ran from May to July of this year, aimed to assess the employment landscape for Hong Kong residents who have relocated to the UK within the past three years.

Demographics and Initial Findings

A total of 449 individuals, split equally between males and females, participated in the survey. The majority (70 percent) were aged between 35 and 54, and a significant 68 percent held a university degree or higher. Geographically, about half resided in the West Midlands, while approximately 20 percent lived in either Greater London or Greater Manchester. The remaining participants were spread across other UK regions, with Northern Ireland as the sole exception. Notably, over half of the respondents have been residing in the UK for at least a year.