UK Ancestry Visa
The UK Ancestry Visa service (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 UK.
Eligibility
Eligibility for ancestry immigration is evaluated against the following criterion:
Candidates for this visa must be aged 17 or over and must be Commonwealth citizens. Candidates must have a grandparent who was born in the UK, Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man. Applications may be considered valid based upon the British birth of any one of your 4 grandparents, alive or deceased. (Please note that applications from candidates with a grandparent who was born in the Republic of Ireland before March 1922 are also valid) If you or one of your parents is adopted, you may be eligible for a Family Visa. You must be able to show proof of your adoption to be considered.
Duration
This visa is initially issued for 5 years. After 5 years candidates can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK (ILR), (permanent residency), on the condition that candidates have spent 5 years continuously in the country and have employment or can show that they have intention to look for employment.
Spouse / dependent immigration are allowed under this route. The candidates Spouse or unmarried partner will also be eligible to apply for an Ancestry Dependency visa
Candidates intending to live or work in the UK must actively seek and undertake employment in order to support themselves and any dependents within the UK. Candidates on this visa must be able to support themselves without the need for public funding.
Benefits
Successful candidates do not need to have a UK work permit. There are no restrictions upon the kind of employment the candidate can look for.
Applying for the Ancestry immigration service offers several key benefits. Firstly, since the application is based upon familiy ties to the UK no points based skills assessment is required as would be the case under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme or HSMP. Unlike UK Business Visas candidates do not need to create jobs or invest in the UK.
Unlike UK visit visas, (travel / tourist visas), this visa is intended as a route to settlement within the UK. A UK work permit can lead to indefinite leave to remain in the UK otherwise known as permanent residency. This Visa is granted for 5 years after which the Candidates can make an application for permanent residency in the UK.
In order to apply for this visa, candidates must provide the following evidence in supporting the application.
1. A full birth certificate.
2. Full birth certificates of the parent and grandparent upon whose ancestry your application is based.
3. Your marriage certificate, (if applicable).
The marriage certificates of your parents and grandparents, and legal adoption papers if you or your parents are adopted.
We have assisted many individuals in moving to the UK, our immigration consultants and caseworkers have a wide range of immigration expertise and experience to assist you in finding the right route into the UK and the best option for yourself from amongst the variety of work permits and UK visas available.
Capital Visas being a leading specialist in UK immigration can assist you in every aspect of your relocation to the UK, from advice on the initial application process to a range of services to assist you once you have arrived in the UK.