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Ancestry Visa

If you have a grandparent who was born in the UK, the UK Ancestry Visa offers you the opportunity to live, work, and study in the UK. This visa is available to Commonwealth citizens and provides a meaningful pathway to making the UK your home.

The UK Ancestry Visa Explained

The UK Ancestry Visa is available to individuals who are a:

 

  • Commonwealth citizen
  • British overseas citizen
  • British overseas territories citizen
  • British national (overseas)
  • Citizen of Zimbabwe
 

With an Ancestry visa you are able to bring family members with you. You will have the right to live, work, and study in the UK for up to five years. After this period, you may become eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and, eventually, British citizenship.

Eligibility Criteria for a UK Ancestry Visa

To qualify for a UK Ancestry Visa, you must meet the following criteria:

  • You are 17 years or older at the time of application.
  • You are one of the following:
    • A Commonwealth citizen
    • A British overseas citizen
    • A British overseas territories citizen
    • A British national (overseas)
    • A British subject
    • A Citizen of Zimbabwe
  • Your grandparent was born in one of the following:
    • The UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man
    • Ireland before 31 March 1922
    • A British-registered ship or aircraft
  • You must demonstrate the ability to support and accommodate yourself without access to public funds.
    Financial support from a third party (such as a relative or friend) is acceptable.
  • You must intend to work in the UK.

Important note: You are not eligible if claiming ancestry through:

  • A grandparent born in a British colony or an overseas military base.
  • A step-grandparent (ancestry must be biological or through legal adoption).

Application Process for a UK Ancestry Visa

The general process for applying for a UK Ancestry Visa involves the following steps:

1. Complete the Application Form

Choose the appropriate form based on your circumstances and apply online through the Home Office website.

2. Pay the Application Fee..

3. Submit Biometric Information

Attend an appointment at a UK visa application centre to provide fingerprints and a photograph.

4. Upload Supporting Documents

5. Home Office Review 

The Home Office may request additional information during the processing period.

6. Decision Notification

If approved you will receive a visa and be requested to create a UKVI account (an eVisa).

Decision Timelines

For a UK Ancestry visa application, you can expect a decision from the Home Office within 3 weeks of your appointment at the visa application centre. If you are extending your Ancestry visa within the UK, the decision usually takes up to 8 weeks.

Bringing Family Members on a UK Ancestry Visa

If your UK Ancestry Visa is approved, you can bring eligible family members, including your spouse, partner, and dependent children, to live with you in the UK.

Key Requirements
  • You must have sufficient funds to support and accommodate your family without access to public funds.
  • Each dependant must provide proof of relationship to you.
 
Accommodation & Financial Support

You must demonstrate that:

  • Your family has adequate accommodation that you own or occupy exclusively.
  • You can financially support your dependants without relying on public funds.
 

Partner Requirements

If applying as an unmarried partner, you must show that:

  • Any previous marriages or civil partnerships have ended.
  • You are not blood relatives.
  • You have lived together for at least two years in a relationship similar to marriage or a civil partnership.
  • Your relationship is genuine and ongoing, and you intend to live together in the UK.
 

Additional Information

  • Each dependant must apply separately and pay the visa application fee and healthcare surcharge.
  • Dependants are usually granted the same leave period as the main visa holder and can work in the UK.
  • Applications should ideally be submitted together to enable joint travel, but dependants can apply later.
  • Partners in the UK on a different visa may switch to this route, unless they entered as a visitor, short-term student, or were granted temporary admission/release.
  • Biometric information (fingerprints and a digital photo) must be enrolled at a visa application centre or UKVCAS service point if applying from within the UK.

Contact Us

Contact Information:

One Hub, 3rd Floor, Maitland House, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 2JY

07982 375010

Info@2flags.co.uk

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