Bno confusion

[Qumox]

I have currently been in the UK for 8 years on student visas what are the possible routes to continue to stay in uk with my bno passport? Aside the 2 year youth mobility scheme.

Due to my parents work I never resided in hk in 1997 as I was still a minor but after that I went to boarding school at 16 in uk. Can this be a ground of argument?

Due to the little knowledge of the bno passport calling visa and passport office of UK has not been helpful.

[Wanderer]

Do you have another nationality?

[Qumox]

Yes I do as I was born in Mauritius. Hence the confusion given the very limited information available online. I have tried calling in search of answers but they are often as uncertain as I am or advise me to Google.

Would I be able to register as a British citizen given that I was in uk for 5 years? The website doesn't stay much about student visa. It just says 5 years without time restrictions which surely would be applicable to all visas including work visas.

[CR001]

Student visas do not lead to or count towards indefinite leave to remain based on 5 years residence. It only counts towards 10 years long residence.

[Wanderer]

Yes I do as I was born in Mauritius. Hence the confusion given the very limited information available online. I have tried calling in search of answers but they are often as uncertain as I am or advise me to Google.

Would I be able to register as a British citizen given that I was in uk for 5 years? The website doesn't stay much about student visa. It just says 5 years without time restrictions which surely would be applicable to all visas including work visas.

BNO is worse than useless really other than to those who are stateless and have not made themselves stateless.

[secret.simon]

without time restrictions

That means having ILR or PR status. That is typically achieved after atleast five years of work visas (with various restrictions) or 10 years of legal residence.

You have achieved 8 years of legal residence already. If you now start your two year Youth mobility visa, you will complete 10 years of legal residence in the UK. At that point, you can apply for ILR. That allows you to stay indefinitely in the UK.

After one year of having ILR, you can register as a British citizen.

So, you could become a British citizen in three years time.