Alex Piletska writes legal article on why registering late as a BNO isn’t possible

10 March 2026

Article 2(4) of the Hong Kong (British Nationality) (Amendment) Order 1993 states:

An application for registration under paragraph (2) above made after the relevant date may be accepted if the applicant shows that there are special circumstances which justify his being so registered.

Which would on the face of it, suggest that a late registration application may be possible.

Sadly, this is not the case and in her latest article written for immigration publication Free Movement, Senior Associate Alex Piletska explores why late applications for BN(O) status were not possible after 1997.

Alex Piletska is a Senior Associate at Vanessa Ganguin Immigration Law. She specialises in a wide range of private immigration, including complex human rights cases, skilled migration and everything in between. She has a particular interest in complex citizenship and nationality cases, vanishingly tricky Adult Dependent Relative applications, Judicial Review and technical procedural issues like validity and variations. Alex often writes and comments on UK immigration issues in the media. 

Photo of Hong Kong protest against extradition bill (c) Joseph Chan / Unsplash