Did you know that if you’re a Commonwealth citizen and one of your grandparents was born in the UK, you can apply for a UK Ancestry Visa? If successful, you will be granted legal permission to enter the UK to live, work, and study.
You can legally stay in the UK for up to 5 years on an Ancestry visa and, should you wish to stay permanently, even go on to apply for settled status once the time period has passed.
What’s more, you don’t need a job offer to qualify, and you can bring along your family members (such as your partner or children), provided you meet the visa requirements.
Am I Eligible?
To be eligible for a UK Ancestry visa, you must be aged at least 17 years and be one of the following:
- Commonwealth citizen
- British Overseas Territory citizen
- British National (Overseas)
- Citizen of Zimbabwe
You must also be able to prove:
- One of your grandparents was born in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man.
- Your ability or intention to work in the UK once resident. (For example with a job offer, voluntary role, or business plan).
- TB Test results (if required).
What Documents Do I Need?
As part of your application, you will need to provide supporting documents. These include:
- A current passport or other valid travel document.
- Your full birth certificate.
- The full birth certificate of the grandparent to which you claim ancestry.
- Evidence of your plans to work in the UK.
- Bank statements to prove your finances.
- TB test results (if required).
- Proof of ID and your relationship to any dependents listed on the application.
- Any applicable marriage/adoption/name change certificates.
What are the Financial Requirements and Costs?
You should consider the mandatory costs when applying for a UK Ancestry visa, such as the visa application fee itself (currently £682) and the UK Healthcare Surcharge (currently £1035 per year).
A UK Ancestry visa does not allow you to apply for financial support from UK public funds, so, as part of your application, you will also need to provide evidence that you have enough money to support yourself and your dependents until you secure employment in the UK.
Please note that your application may also incur additional costs. For example, all supporting documentation submitted with your application must be presented in English. If your original documents are written in a different language, you must supply certified translations at your own expense.
How Do I Apply?
You should apply for a UK Ancestry visa online via the UK government’s official website. All applications must be submitted from outside of the UK and can be made up to three months before your intended travel date.
In addition to your online application, you will need to schedule an appointment at your local visa application centre to provide your biometric data (fingerprints and photograph).
Once you have completed your online application, submitted your supporting evidence, and attended your appointment, your application will be sent for processing.
It normally takes up to three weeks to process a UK Ancestry visa application, however, you may be able to get a faster decision if required, by paying extra for the priority service.
What If My Visa is Refused?
Sometimes visa applications can be refused. There can be different reasons for a visa refusal but some of the most common include:
- You are not eligible to apply.
- You fail to prove that you are actively seeking work in the UK.
- You cannot provide evidence of your Ancestry claim.
- You cannot provide evidence to prove your financial status.
- You have failed to submit the correct documents or the documents contain errors.
- You have failed to respond to any UK Home Office’s requests for further information.
If your Ancestry visa application is refused, you are not automatically granted the right to an appeal. If you believe you are still eligible for an Ancestry visa, you have two options;
If it is refused due to errors made by you in the application, you would have to reapply and pay the fees again. Or, if you believe there has been a clear error in the UK Home Office’s decision making process, you can request a review without reapplying.
How Do I Stay in the UK Permanently?
Once you have lived and worked in the UK on an Ancestry visa for 5 years, you can apply for permanent residence provided you meet the requirements. In the UK, this is called Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
To apply for ILR with an Ancestry visa you must:
- Continue to be a Commonwealth citizen.
- Have been in the UK for 5 years and have not been outside of the UK for more than 180 days in any 12 month period.
- Prove you have the financial capacity to continue to support yourself and any dependents.
- Be able and willing to work in the UK.
- Meet the minimum language requirements.
- Pass the ‘Life in the UK’ test.
If you are granted ILR, you will be able to remain in the UK indefinitely without having to renew your immigration status. You can also access government benefits and public funds, and are no longer required to pay the UK Healthcare Surcharge to access healthcare services. Furthermore, after a year in the UK with ILR, you can apply for British citizenship.
It costs £3029 to apply for ILR and you can apply no more than 28 days before your 5 years has passed.
