Just before the handover, the Hong Kong Ex-servicemen Association was formed by some of the local ex-servicemen; the association has branches in the UK and Canada. In July 2006, Britain granted full British citizenship to all Gurkha soldiers and their dependants who had served in Hong Kong, however only 500 HKMSC soldiers and their families were granted British citizenship under the British Nationality Selection Scheme (BNSS) before the HKMSC was disbanded. Some ex-HKMSC soldiers who were resident in the United Kingdom re-enlisted in the British Army on a Military Local Service Engagement (MLSE), with the Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS), and others joined the British Territorial Army (TA).