Ancestry Visa allow commonwealth nationals with a grandparent who was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man to enter the UK for a period of 5 years.
Commonwealth nationals with a grandparent born in the Republic of Ireland before 31 March 1922 are also eligible to apply for an Ancestry Visa.
An Ancestry Visa offers full freedom to work in the UK, including working as a self-employed person or starting your own business.
Eligibility Criteria
The applicant must meet the requirements of paragraph 186 of the Immigration Rules. To qualify you must satisfy the following Ancestry Visa requirements:
- be a Commonwealth citizen
- be aged 17 or over
- provide proof that one of their grandparents was born in the UK and islands and they are the applicant’s blood grandparent or grandparent by an adoption recognised by the laws of the UK
- be able to work and intend to take or seek employment (this includes self-employment) in the UK
- be able to maintain and accommodate themselves and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds
- hold a valid entry clearance for entry in this capacity
Required Documents for Ancestry Visa
The applicant must submit enough evidence to prove they have a UK born grandparent. Documentary evidence can include:
- their full birth certificate
- the full birth certificates of the parent and grandparent through whom the applicant is making the ancestry application
- legal adoption papers if the applicant, or the applicant’s parents, are adopted.
- their marriage certificate or civil partnership registration document if their spouse or civil partner intends to join them in the UK
- offers of employment or, if self-employed, business plan and/or company accounts
- the applicant may include the marriage certificates of parents and grandparents – this is not always required because ancestry can be through the legitimate or illegitimate line: this means the parents and/or the grandparents do not need to be married
Duration of leave
If your application for a UK ancestry visa is successful you will be granted permission to remain in the UK for five years. At the conclusion of this five year period, you will then be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) provided that:
You continue to meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules for UK ancestry, and
You have spent five years continuously in the UK and can show that you have an employment history throughout that five year period. If you intend to apply for ILR you should not spend more than 90 days per year outside the UK during this five year period.
If at the end of your five-year ancestry visa you do not meet all of the ILR qualifying criteria you may apply for an extension to your ancestry visa.
Additional information
In certain circumstances, it may be possible for you to change your visa status to an ancestry visa from within the United Kingdom, however, in most cases you must apply for your this visa in your home country or the country where you legally live. You must also apply for entry clearance prior to coming to the UK.
If you have a spouse, unmarried partner or dependants under 18 years of age you can apply for them to join you in the UK on an Ancestry Dependency Visa.
If you or your parent who you are claiming ancestry ties through is adopted you can still apply for entry clearance to the UK under the ancestry category.
About the Author
