UK Ancestry Visas.

UK ancestry visas allow Commonwealth citizens and people of other backgrounds who have a grandparent born in the UK to live and work in the UK for up to five years. After five years, you may be able to extend your UK ancestry visa for an additional 5 years, or apply for indefinite leave to remain.

A common misconception about the UK ancestry visa is that it’s enough for you to prove that one parent or grandparent was born in the UK. While this is partly true, there are several other eligibility criteria that you must meet:

You must be one of the following:

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

You must also:

1. be aged 17 or over
2. prove you have the means to support yourself and any dependants financially, without help from public funds
3. show that you can and plan to work in the UK
4. apply from outside the UK

And lastly, your claim to ancestry must show that one of your grandparents:

1. Was born in the UK (including Northern Ireland), the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, or before 31 March 1922 if they were born in Ireland
2. Was on a ship or aircraft that was either registered in the UK or belonged to the UK government

For UK ancestry visas, you can claim ancestry if you or one of your parents was adopted and even if your parents or grandparents were not married, but you are unable to claim ancestry through step-parents.

For your UK ancestry visa application to succeed, you’ll need to provide:

1. Your full birth certificate
2. The full birth certificates of the parent and grandparent through which you’re claiming ancestry
3. Your passport with a blank page available
4. Evidence of your intention to work (e.g. your CV, job applications, qualifications, a business plan)
5. Proof of your finances and that you are able to support yourself and any dependants
6. Proof of your relationship with your partner and/or children if they are applying with you

Yes, UK ancestry visas allow your partner and children to apply as dependants alongside your application. They will be granted visas for the same duration as yours.

Unmarried, civil partnership, and LGBT partners, alongside adopted children can all apply as dependants.

It typically takes 2 to 6 weeks to prepare a UK ancestry visa application. When you submit your application, you’ll also need to book an appointment at a visa application centre where availability can vary.

Once submitted, decisions on applications are typically made within 3 weeks.

You cannot apply for a UK ancestry visa earlier than 3 months before you travel to the UK.

No, applications for UK ancestry visas must be made from outside the UK, however applications to extend your existing ancestry visa, or for indefinite leave to remain can be made from within the UK.

You also can’t convert an existing UK visa into an ancestry visa; it must be a new and separate application.

You cannot appeal a refusal decision for ancestry visas, however you can ask for an administrative review or re-apply.

The UK government doesn’t release specific figures on refusal rates for UK ancestry visas, but anecdotally the number of rejections is low.

Applications that do fail tend to do so because applicants have been unable to prove sufficient means to support themselves independently financially, or because they haven’t provided sufficient proof of their ancestry.

We routinely assist clients looking to re-lodge visa applications due to procedural refusals or those who have failed to meet the required eligibility criteria.