UK Ancestry Visa

The UK Ancestry visa service (also known as a British Ancestry visa) is a UK visa for immigration which allows a Commonwealth citizen to immigrate to the UK with the freedom to live and work in Britain on the basis of their ancestral ties to the United Kingdom.

At Global Visas, we can help you to obtain the most beneficial immigration advice for you, whether skills-based or family-based, from the wide range of UK visas and working permits available. 

As a consultancy that specialises in UK immigration law, we can offer immigration lawyer advice and services throughout the application process taking care of every aspect of your move to Britain.

Benefits

Applying for the Ancestry mode of UK immigration offers several key benefits. Firstly, since the application is based upon familial ties to the United Kingdom no points based skills assessment is required as would be the case under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme or HSMP. In addition, unlike UK visas, candidates do not need to create jobs or invest in the United Kingdom.

Successful British Ancestry visa 

applications

 do not require a UK work permit visa to accompany them, and as a result, no restrictions whatsoever are imposed upon the types of employment that a permit holder may seek or undertake once they are in Britain. UK visas for immigration based on ancestry allow successful applicants complete and free access to the domestic employment market.

Finally, unlike UK visit visas, often referred to as travel visas or tourist visas and in contrast to UK work permits, this immigration route is intended as a route to settlement. Although a UK working permit may ultimately lead to the opportunity to apply for Indefinite leave to remain in the UK, or permanent residency, the ancestral visa is granted for five years after which applicants may apply for permanent resident status. Beyond this, subject to meeting the appropriate requirements, an applicant may be able to apply to become a UK citizen through British naturalization.

Duration

This family history immigration visa is initially issued for five years. After this time people on ancestry visas can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK (ILR), often referred to as permanent residency, so long they have spent 5 years continuously in the country and have either current employment or can demonstrate the intention and ability to seek employment.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility for ancestry immigration of this kind is assessed against the following criteria:

Age

Applicants must be aged 17 years or over.

Citizenship

Applicants must currently be Commonwealth citizens.  For those who are not you may find our page on prospective entreprenuer visa helpful.

Ancestry

Applicants for this type of family immigration must have a grandparent who was born in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man. Applications from candidates with a grandparent who was born in the Republic of Ireland before March 1922 will also be valid. Applications may be considered valid based upon the British birth of any one of your four grandparents, alive or deceased.

If either you or one of your parents is adopted, you may still be eligible to apply for a family visa of this type. In these circumstances, you must be able to demonstrate reasonable proof of your adoption.

Documentary Evidence

The following documentary evidence will be required as part of your application:

• Your full birth certificate.
• Your marriage certificate, if applicable.
• The full birth certificates of the parent and grandparent upon whose ancestry your application is based.
• The marriage certificates of your parents and grandparents, and legal adoption papers if you or your parents are adopted.

Employment

Applicants coming to live and work in the UK under this route must intend to seek and undertake employment in order to support themselves and any dependents once in the United Kingdom. People on British Ancestry visas must be able to support and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds.

Relationships

Spouse immigration and dependent immigration are permitted under this permanent immigration route. Your spouse or unmarried partner will be eligible to apply for a Ancestry Dependency visa. As with a marriage visa, fiancé visa or De facto visa, often known as an unmarried partner visa, immigration of your dependents will be in line with the permanent nature of the ancestry-based visa. Find out further information on our Visa refusals page.