Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending British National (Overseas) nationality status to BN(O) visa holders' dependents residing in the United Kingdom.

Registration for British National (Overseas) status closed on 1 July 1997 and no new applications can now be made. BN(O) visa holders’ dependants who are on the BN(O) route in the UK may apply for British citizenship after 5 years’ qualifying residence, and being free from immigration time restrictions for a further year.