UK Ancestry Visa

What is a UK Ancestry Visa?

If you are a citizen of a Commonwealth country and one of your grandparents was born in the UK, you may be eligible for a five-year UK Ancestry Visa. This will allow you to live, work and study in the UK. After five years, you can either apply for a renewal or apply for settled status.

The Ancestry Visa does not require you to have already been offered a job in the UK before you apply. This makes it a much simpler route for those who are eligible. You will not be able to claim public funds on this visa type, so evidence of maintenance will be vital to receiving a good result.

Because you are applying as the relative of a British citizen, you will need to provide detailed evidence which proves their British heritage. These can sometimes be difficult to source for grandparents who left the UK a long time ago.

UK Ancestry Visa Key Facts

What can you do with a Ancestry Visa?

With a British Ancestry Visa, you can live in the UK and take on any kind of employment, including paid, unpaid, voluntary or self-employment. You can also bring your partner and dependent children with you to the UK.

You can also study.

You can stay in the UK for up to five years on a British Ancestry Visa. After this five year period has elapsed, you can apply to extend your visa or apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

You cannot apply to change or switch to this visa if you are already in the UK.

You also cannot access public funds on this visa.

What are the UK Ancestry Visa requirements?

In order to qualify for a UK Ancestry Visa, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be 17 or over;
• Have enough money to support yourself and any dependents without accessing public funds;
• Plan to work in the UK; and
• Be a Commonwealth citizen or one of the following:
  • a British overseas citizen
  • a British overseas territories citizen
  • a British national (overseas)
  • a citizen of Zimbabwe

You must also meet one of the following ancestry requirements:

• Have a grandparent born in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man;
• Have a grandparent born in what is now the Republic of Ireland on or before 31st March 1922; or
• Have a grandparent born on a British-registered ship or aircraft.

You can also claim an Ancestry Visa if you or your parent was adopted or was born within or outside marriage in the UK.

You cannot claim UK ancestry through your step-parents.

Eligibility Criteria Table

How do I apply for a UK Ancestry Visa?

You must make your UK ancestry visa application from outside the UK.

Applications must be made online through the gov.uk website.

As part of your application, you will need to schedule and attend an appointment at a local visa application centre. There, you will have your biometrics taken in the form of your fingerprints and photograph.

You should submit your application no more than 3 months before you plan to travel to the UK.

Application Process & Timeline Table

What documents do I need to apply for ancestry visa uk?

In order to apply, you will need the following documents:

• A current passport or another valid travel document.
• Your full birth certificate.
• The full birth certificate of the grandparent through whom your ancestry claim is based.
• Evidence of your plans to work in the UK, either in the form of a job offer or a business plan if you are planning to be self-employed.
• Bank statements showing that you have enough money to support yourself.

You may also have to provide the following documents, depending on your circumstances:

• Your tuberculosis test results if you are applying from a country where a TB test is required.
• Proof of relationship with your spouse/partner and children, if they’re coming with you.
• Marriage certificates for your parents and grandparents, if they were married.
• Adoption papers, if you or your parents are adopted.
• Evidence of any legal name changes of your parents or grandparents.

Other documents may be required depending on your circumstances. If you are applying through Immigration Advice Service, we will be able to advise you on which documents are required.

Required Documents Table

UK Ancestry Visa Fees and Processing times

The UK Ancestry visa costs £726 to apply for.

You and your dependents will also need to pay the NHS healthcare surcharge while in the UK, which is £1035 for adults and £776 for under-18s.

There may also be additional costs involved in the application process, such as if you have to have official documents translated into English.

It normally takes up to 3 weeks for Ancestry visa applications to be processed. You may be able to pay for a priority processing service to have your application processed faster than this, though this will incur additional charges.

Obtaining indefinite leave to remain with the Ancestry visa

After spending 5 years in the UK with an Ancestry visa, you may be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain (the UK’s term for permanent settlement).

To be eligible, all of the following must apply to you:

• In the 5 years you’ve been in the UK on this visa, you have not been outside of the UK for more than 180 days in any 12 month period
• You have enough money to continue to support yourself and your dependents
• You can, and plan to, work in the UK
• You are still a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth (or other) country
• You meet the minimum English language requirements (if you’re aged between 18 and 64)
• You have passed the Life in the UK test (if you’re aged between 18 and 64)

Applying for indefinite leave to remain will mean that you can stay in the UK indefinitely without having to renew your status. You will also be able to claim benefits and access public funds. After spending one year in the UK with indefinite leave to remain, you may then be eligible to apply for British citizenship.

It costs £3,226 to apply for indefinite leave to remain. You should apply no more than 28 days before your 5 year period is completed.

Applications should be made online through the gov.uk website.

Pathway to Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) Table

UK Ancestry Visa refusal: What to do next?

Having an application for the UK Ancestry Visa refused can be a frustrating experience. Some of the most common reasons for refusal include the following:

• You are not a citizen of an eligible country
• You fail to show that you are actively seeking work in the UK
• You cannot provide proof that one of your grandparents’ births is eligible
• You are unable to demonstrate that you have adequate finances to support yourself in the UK
• Incomplete or inaccurate application
• Failure to submit relevant supporting documents
• Failure to respond to Home Office requests for further information

Unfortunately, if your Ancestry Visa application is refused, there is no automatic right of appeal, unless there is a clear error in the decision process.

This means you could request an administrative review of the decision if you are sure that your application ought to have been accepted.

How IAS can help with an Ancestry Visa application?

Our experienced immigration lawyers can work with you to help you secure UK Ancestry visas for you and your family. We will work with you to assess whether your heritage makes you eligible which can include sourcing and locating family history documents for you, to use as evidence for the Home Office.

We will also perform a document check and fill your application out using expert knowledge. Our services also involve one of our lawyers producing a Letter of Representation. This letter references your supporting documents, relevant UK immigration laws and cases in support of your application. This will maximise your chances of a successful UK Ancestry Visa application.

Get in touch online today or call 0333 363 8577 to speak to an expert immigration lawyer, or see our FAQs below for more information.