I was pleased to sign this letter in the Times supporting the call for British National (Overseas) visa holders from Hong Kong to have ‘home student’ status when going to university – meaning they would be treated in the same way as UK students. Our letter was signed by MPs from across parties, as well as many different organisations within the sector.  

Currently, higher education rules mean that visa holders are not eligible for home fees status until they have lived in the UK for five years, so are ineligible for student loans and face much higher university fees. Whilst the government has rightly said that young people arriving in the UK under new Ukraine visa schemes should have home student status, it is right to extend this to those who have left their home in Hong Kong and come to Britain under the BN(O) visa too.