UK updates BN(O) settlement residence requirement for children under 18
The 8 October guidance implements an age-specific exception; parental, relationship and care conditions still apply.
Home Office BN(O) guidance version 15.0, issued on 8 October, confirms that eligible dependent children under 18 when applying for settlement no longer need their own five-year continuous residence period. HC 584, published on 3 September, made the change effective on 8 October. Their latest permission must still have been on the BN(O) route.[1][2]
Relationship, parental-status and care requirements remain. Children do not receive settlement automatically, and applicants aged 18 or over must still meet the five-year requirement. This exception does not remove the qualifying period for all BN(O) applicants.[1][2][3]
Official sources
This article provides general information. Individual applications are subject to the applicable rules and the competent authority’s assessment.