Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of expanding the T5 visa scheme for Hong Kong residents by making it renewable after 24 months until they are eligible for settled status after five years.

The Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme with Hong Kong is a reciprocal agreement currently capped at 24 months. In line with similar agreements with other territories it is primarily a cultural exchange programme rather than a route to settlement and it only applies to those aged under 30.

Other immigration routes are available to Hong Kong residents which lead to settlement in the UK, plus we have already announced our intention to create a route to settlement for British National (Overseas) resident in Hong Kong and their dependents.