Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether criminal convictions given to Hong Kongers in Hong Kong courts under the National Security Act can result in denied Electronic Travel Authorisation to the UK.

An application for an ETA must be refused where the applicant has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or overseas for which they have received a custodial or suspended sentence of 12 months or more, or has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or overseas unless more than 12 months have passed since the date of conviction.

Applicants whose ETA is refused are still free to apply for a visit visa, which will allow for a more thorough consideration of their circumstances by a decision-maker. Refusal of an ETA will not necessarily result in a subsequent visa application being refused; this will depend on individual circumstances and vary on a case-by-case basis.