ents can only be increased if your landlord follows proper procedures. A landlord can increase the rent no more than once a year – tenants must be notified of this decision in writing at least three months before any rent increase is scheduled to take place. This is called a Rent Increase Notice. 

If you think the proposed increase is too high or unreasonable, you can apply to Rent Service Scotland to get a Rent Officer to review your case and decide whether the proposed increase is reasonable. This involves a form and providing some information about the proposed increase. You should fill this form out as soon as possible, as you cannot use the service if it has been more than 21 days since you received your Rent Increase Notice. Find out more about using this service here: About Rent Service Scotland – gov.scot (www.gov.scot). 

If you want to end your tenancy, you must give your landlord at least 28 days’ notice in writing.

Your landlord cannot just ask you to move out of your property, unless the landlord meets one of the 18 grounds for eviction. Examples include if the landlord intends to sell the property, or if the landlord or a family member want to move back into the property, but can also include rent arrears and criminal or antisocial behavior. If you are not served with one of these 18 grounds for eviction, you do not have to move out of the property. If the landlord wants to evict you, they have to follow the proper procedure. 

If your landlord breaks your rental agreement – for example by failing to carry out repairs or by harassing you – you have several options. 

1. You can complain to your local council’s landlord registration team. You will find a list of the relevant contact for each local authority here Local authority contacts – Scottish Landlord Register (landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk)
2. You can choose to move out of the property, provided that you still follow the correct procedure on ending a tenancy.
3. Contact Citizens Advice Scotland for advice – they may be able to advise on your legal options and may be able to recommend a solicitor if you decide to take court action.
4. You can withhold rent until the problem is fixed. However, you should always follow the proper procedure when withholding rent and need to inform your landlord of this in advance. 

Your landlord needs your express permission to add in new terms and conditions or amend existing ones. For example, if you own a pet and this is allowed under the terms of your tenancy, you do not have to accept any changes to the terms of tenancy that affect your ability to keep a pet in your property. You should always consider carefully whether to accept any changes to the terms and conditions of your tenancy. 

This is a condition attached to your BN(O) visa which means you will not be able to access benefits or support that are classes as public funds. This includes things like housing benefit, council tax reduction, and jobseeker’s allowance, amongst other things. You can find more information on what is classed as a public fund on the NRPF Network website. 

You cannot do this yourself, but it is possible to have the NRPF condition lifted if you meet certain criteria. COSLA have partnered with IOM to provide this service. Please contact your Local Authority in the first instance and refer them to the following guidance Refer BN(O) Migrant to IOM Immigration Caseworker | Hong Kong BN(O) Welcome Hub (migrationscotland.org.uk). This process involves collecting evidence to show that you are destitute or at risk of destitution.

A visitor visa does not permit children to receive a state school education. Once you receive your BN(O) visa, you will be able to enrol your child in a state school. 

You should not have spent more than 180 days outside of the UK in any given 12-month period. 

Your 5 years continuous residence in the UK start from the first day you arrive in the UK. If you arrive in the UK and are still waiting for your BN(O) visa application to be accepted, then the continuous residence only starts on the day you are granted your BN(O) visa. If you enter the UK under ‘leave outside the rules’ then this does not count towards your 5 years continuous residence.

The UK Government has released a letter to BN(O) visa holders and prospective employers outlining how to obtain a Certificate of No Criminal Convictions (CNCC) from the Hong Kong Police. There is also information for employers in specific sectors on further guidance where a CNCC is not provided by the Hong Kong police. The letter is available in the resources section on this page: Welcome: a guide for Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa holders in the UK – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

This is something that your employer does on your behalf, either by checking physical documents or checking your immigration status online. You can either show your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card or you can generate an online share code to prove your right to work.

You may or may not have the right to work while you await a decision on your BN(O) Visa application. You can verify whether you have the right to work by checking any existing conditions on the visa you used to enter the UK.

BN(O) status holders can look for and start work without a National Insurance number, as long as you can prove that you have the right to work in the UK. You can do this by authorising a potential employer to access your data by conducting a right to work check. Please note that a National Insurance number does not prove that you have the right to work and is not a part of the right to work check. A right to work check is something that your employer does on your behalf, either by checking physical documents or checking your immigration status online.

We are aware that some Hong Kong BN(O) migrants have experienced significant delays when applying for a National Insurance number.

We are aware that in some instances people are having to wait more than the maximum time of 16 weeks to receive their National Insurance Number. If you want to find out more about the status of your application, you can call the National Insurance number application helpline on 0800 141 2079.

It may be possible for your employer to pay for private ESOL classes. This is something you should discuss with your employer directly.

ESOL classes can be both online and in person. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many classes have moved online, although this varies depending on where you live.

This depends on the availability of courses in your area and your skill level. Once you are assess, your ESOL coordinator should be able to advise how long you may have to wait for an ESOL course.

Speaking English as an Additional Language refers solely to language and is not considered a Special Educational Need, although it is possible that an EAL pupil also has special educational needs. More information on children with Special Education Needs can be found here. 英語為附加語言學習只代表當事人需要額外的語言協助，並不代表他/她有特殊教育需要（雖然EAL學生亦可能有特殊教育需要）。更多有關有特殊教育需要的學生的資訊，請前往這個網頁：https://www.gov.uk/children-with-special-educational-needs

A CHI number is the Scottish equivalent of an NHS number. It is used to locate your medical records and can be found on any appointments or letters you receive from the NHS. 

Secondary care is a more specialised form of care, often provided in a hospital setting. This means you will need a referral from your GP to access secondary care or you must be referred from Accident & Emergency (A&E). 

No, all screening and diagnostic tests in Scotland are provided completely free of charge by the NHS. Any treatment for children born with certain health conditions or disabilities is also provided free by the NHS. 

You should contact your GP in the first instance. If you have not yet registered with a GP, you should mention you are pregnant when registering, as this may help speed up the process. If you are concerned, you can also call NHS 24 by dialling 111.