How to Apply for a UK Ancestry Visa

Table Of Contents

1. What is a UK Ancestry Visa
2. Eligibility
3. How to claim ancestry
4. How to apply for a UK Ancestry Visa
5. What if your visa application is refused
6. Conclusion

The UK Ancestry visa is a relationship-based visa. The visa is available to the Commonwealth citizens. 56 independent countries in Asia, Africa, America, Europe, and the Pacific make up the Commonwealth countries. For example, Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, India, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are some of the countries that are a part of the Commonwealth countries.
If you are a Commonwealth citizen and one of your grandparents was born in the UK, you can make a UK Ancestry Visa application. After receiving your visa approval, you can live, study, and work in the UK.

What is a UK Ancestry Visa?

The following categories of people can apply to the UK Ancestry Visa, which is based on the ancestor’s origin of birth, grandparent in this case:

• Citizens of Commonwealth
• British Overseas Residents
• Citizens of British Overseas Territories
• British National (Overseas)
• Zimbabwean Citizens

There’s an Ancestry Visa application available for individuals aged 17 or older who have at least one grandparent born in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man. Citizens from the aforementioned countries can also live, work, and study in the United Kingdom. You are allowed to bring a child or spouse with you to the UK as well.
Initially, the visa enables you to stay in the United Kingdom for five years. Following five years of residency in the UK, an application can be made for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). After a year of holding ILR, a British citizenship application can be filed. Therefore, British citizenship and settlement can be obtained through a UK ancestry visa.

Eligibility

Other than being a Commonwealth citizen, a British overseas citizen, a British overseas territories citizen, a British national (overseas), or a citizen of Zimbabwe, you must meet the following conditions to be eligible to make a UK ancestry visa application:

• You are 17 years of age or older.
• You intend to work in the UK.
• You are able to support and accommodate yourself and your dependents (if any) without any recourse to the public funds.

How to claim ancestry?

You may claim ancestry in any of the ways given below.

• A grandparent of yours was born in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, or
• Your grandparent was born in the Republic of Ireland before the 31st of March, 1922. Or
• Your grandparent was born on a ship or aircraft under the name or ownership of the British government.

You may also claim ancestry if your parent or grandparent was unmarried, and you or your parent was adopted.

Do note that you can’t claim UK ancestry.

• Through stepparents and
• If the qualifying grandparent was born in any British colony on a military base overseas.

How to apply for a UK Ancestry Visa?

The first thing you should note before you make a UK ancestry visa application is that you must apply for this visa from outside the UK before you travel to the UK. You cannot apply to switch to a UK ancestry visa from inside the UK.
The earliest you can apply for the UK ancestry visa is no more than 3 months before you travel to the UK.
Follow the below steps to apply for a UK ancestry visa:

1. Collect all necessary supporting documents

Before applying, you should collect all the documents required for the visa. The first and foremost document that you need to have is proof of your relationship with your grandparents. Other than this, some of the other key documents that you need to collect include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Identity Documents—your current passport or other valid travel document.
• Date of your birth—your birth certificate
• Proof of your plan to work in the UK—evidence such as a job offer or a business plan to show that you plan to work in the UK or you intend to be self-employed.
• Financial Evidence—Evidence such as bank statements, payslips, etc., to prove that you can support yourself and any dependent family members when you are in the UK.
• Tuberculosis Report—Your TB test certificate if you are coming from a country where you are required to take a TB test.

2. Fill out the application form

You need to apply online. After you have gathered the required documents, the next step in the UK ancestry visa application process is to fill out the application form on the GOV.UK website. Submit all the required documents that you have already gathered.

3. Pay the application fee

You need to pay the application fee of £637. You may also have to pay an immigration healthcare surcharge fee of £1,035 per year per applicant.
You can pay the application fee and immigration healthcare surcharge through a debit or credit card.

4. Book an appointment at a visa application center

As part of a UK ancestry visa application process, you need to book an appointment at a visa application center in your home country to prove your identity.

5. Attend your appointment

On the date of the appointment you booked, you need to visit the visa application center, where you will have to submit your biometric information (fingerprints and photograph). The visa application center may keep your passport and documents while processing your visa application.

6. Wait for the decision

After you have submitted your biometric information, you need to wait for the decision by the Home Office. Usually, it takes 3 weeks to get a decision on your UK ancestry visa application.
However, if the Home Office requires more information or evidence from you, they will contact you, and this may delay the visa application processing time.
After the Home Office is satisfied with the application and the evidence provided, it will grant you permission to enter and stay in the UK for up to 5 years.

What if your visa application is refused?

If for any reason your UK ancestry visa application is refused, you will be informed by the Home Office about it through a letter in which the reasons for refusal will be mentioned. After the refusal, you have the following options:

• Administrative Review—you may apply for an administrative review (if you are given the right for it in your refusal letter).
• New Application—you can make a fresh UK ancestry visa application.
• Different visa—you can apply for a different visa, such as a UK spouse visa.

Conclusion

The UK ancestry visa is a route for Commonwealth citizens with British ancestors looking to reconnect with their UK lineage. The visa route is an opportunity for the qualifying citizens to live and work in the UK. The visa also allows family members of the qualifying applicants to join them in the UK.
As stated, this is a visa route through your relationship with your relative (grandparent); thus, you need to prove your relationship with them.
The visa may, apart from allowing you to live and work in the UK, also allow you to vote in the UK elections.

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