You can apply for extension of your UK Ancestry visa for 5 years if you are in the UK with UK Ancestry visa and do not qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a UK Ancestry Migrant. Some applicants who have completed 5 years in the UK in the UK ancestry category may choose to apply for an extension of stay rather than indefinite leave. An application for extension of UK ancestry visa is made in accordance with requirements as set out in Appendix UK Ancestry to the Immigration Rules. An application for extension of UK Ancestry visa is made using application form FLR (IR).

This could be for a variety of reasons, including because the applicant:

  • does not meet the knowledge of English language and life in the UK requirement for settlement
  • has broken their continuity of residence and so cannot meet the 5-year continuous residence requirement for settlement
  • simply does not wish to apply for settlement, or is unaware that they are eligible to do so

Premium Solicitors are specialist UK immigration solicitors and the high quality of UK visa and immigration legal services provided by our best team of fully qualified and experienced immigration solicitors is self-evident from the 5-star Google Reviews rating by 99% of our clients.

Our specialist team of immigration solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legal representations on fixed fee basis for your application for extension of UK Ancestry visa. Ask a question online to our specialist team of work visa solicitors for free immigration advice online or book an appointment online for a detailed immigration advice and consultation with one of our work visa solicitors conerning your application for extension of UK Ancestry visa.

Eligibility Requirements For Extension Of UK Ancestry Visa

An applicant applying for extension of UK Ancestry visa must meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules. They must:

  • Valid application: The applicant must submit a valid application for ILR as a UK Ancestry migrant;
  • UK Ancestry Visa: The application must have previously been granted permission on the UK Ancestry route as a person with UK Ancestry.;
  • Commonwealth Citizen: The applicant must be a Commonwealth citizen on the date of application;
  • Grandparent born in the UK and Island: The applicant must have a grandparent born in the UK or Islands.
  • Work requirement: The applicant must be able to work and intend to seek and take employment in the UK.
  • Suitability requirements: The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part 9: grounds for refusal;
  • Financial Requirement: The decision maker must be satisfied that the applicant can and will adequately maintain and accommodate themselves, and any dependants in the UK, or applying for entry clearance, without recourse to public funds. Funds must be shown as specified in Appendix Finance.
  • Not in breach of immigration laws: The applicant must NOT be:
    • in breach of immigration laws, except that where paragraph 39E applies, that period of overstaying will be disregarded; or
    • on immigration bail.

Employment Or Self-employment At The Date Of Application

The applicant must be employed or self-employed in the UK at the date of application for extension of UK Ancestry visa. A person with leave in the UK ancestry category is not required to be continuously employed while in the UK to qualify for an extension of stay.

Evidence Of Employment

If the applicant is employed on the date of application, they should normally be able to submit both:

  • a letter from their current employer which confirms how long they have been working for them and that they will continue in their current job with that employer, and
  • one of the following (unless they are undertaking voluntary work):
    • their most recent payslip issued by the employer named on the letter
    • their most recent bank statement or building society passbook, if this clearly shows recent receipt of wages from the employer named on the letter

If the applicant has only recently started work for their employer and they have not yet been paid, the letter from the employer should confirm how much they will be paid.

Evidence Of Self-employment

If the applicant is self-employed on the date of application, they must send recent documents as evidence of this. Examples of acceptable evidence include, but are not limited to:

  • their most recent tax self-assessment form (SA100) plus evidence of receipt by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
  • most recent statement of account (SA300) or tax calculations (SA302) issued by HMRC
  • company tax return (CT600) for the last financial year and evidence of receipt by HMRC
  • evidence of payment of National Insurance Contributions as a self-employed person
  • Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) pay and deduction statements, if the applicant is a contractor or subcontractor in the construction industry
  • copies of invoices and receipts of payment for recent work carried out
  • most recent personal or business bank statement, if this clearly shows payments for work carried out as part of the applicant’s business
  • audited accounts from the last financial year
  • official letter from a registered accountant which confirms the applicant’s self-employment and earnings from the last financial year

This is not an exhaustive list.

Applicant Unemployed At The Date Of Application

If the applicant is unemployed when they apply for an extension of stay, the Home Office UKVI will normally ask for evidence of their employment record throughout their previous 5 years and of any attempts they have made, and are making, to find work (if they have not provided this information with their application). If the applicant has been unemployed for the entire 5 years, the Home Office UKVI will ask them to explain the reasons for this, if they have not done so on their application form.

In all cases where the applicant has had long periods of unemployment, the Home Office UKVI will give particularly careful consideration to how they have supported themselves without a regular income. The Home Office UKVI may grant the application if there is satisfactory evidence that the applicant is genuinely looking for work, is able to work, and there are no other reasons for refusal. Remember that voluntary work can meet the employment requirement. If the Home Office, UKVI are not satisfied that the applicant is able to and intends to take or seek employment, they may refuse the application.

Financial Requirement

All applicants on the UK Ancestry route must meet the financial requirement. There is no set level of funds the applicant must hold but they must show they can maintain and accommodate themselves, and any family members applying to join them in the UK, without access to public funds. Evidence of finances must be as set out in Immigration Rules: Appendix Finance and be dated no more than 31 days before the date of application. Applicants can also rely on credible support from a third party (for example, a relative or friend) to meet this requirement.

Super Priority Service (Decision Within 24 Hours) For UK Ancestry Extension

Our specialist team of immigration solicitors can provide fast track visa service to get you decision on your application faster under the Priority Service or Super Priority service. This way you will get decision on your application faster and will not to wait for a decision on your application for months (some time years).

Our fast track immigration solicitors can prepare your application faster and submit your application under the Priority Service or Super Priority Service to get you faster decision on your application.

As specialist immigration solicitors in London, we are registered with the Home Office, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) and its commercial partners UKVCAS Sopra Steria to provide Priority Service or Super Priority Service for your application whereby decision on your application will be made by the Home Office UKVI faster. An application submitted through Priority Service is normally decided within 5 working days and an application submitted through Super Priority Service is normally decided within 24 hours (usually by end of next working day).

How Can We Help?

Our specialist team of immigration solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legal representations on fixed fee basis in relation to your application. Our fixed fee for your immigration application will cover all the work of our immigration solicitors on your immigration application until a decision is made by the Home Office UKVI on your application. The casework to be carried out by our immigration solicitors in relation to your immigration application will entail the following:

  • Advice on requirements: Our immigration solicitors will advise you on the relevant requirements you have to meet for your immigration application to succeed.
  • Advice on documents: Our immigration lawyers will prepare and email you a comprehensive list of supporting documents to be submitted in support of your immigration application;
  • Assessment of documents: Our immigration lawyers will assess your documents to make sure that all the documents you provide in support of your application are in accordance with the requirement of the immigration rules.
  • Completing application form: Our immigration lawyers will complete the relevant application form for your immigration application.
  • Submitting application through Priority or Super Priority Service: Where possible, our immigration lawyers will submit your online immigration application through priority or super priority service to get faster decision on your immigration application.
  • Booking an appointment with the application centre: After the online submission of your immigration application, our immigration lawyers will book your appointment with the application centre for you to enrol your biometrics.
  • Preparing a detailed cover letter: Our specialist immigration solicitors will prepare a detailed cover letter in support of the immigration application to explain all the relevant legal requirements and how such requirements have been satisfied by the applicant with the documents being submitted with the application.
  • Uploading documents online: Before the biometrics enrolment date, our immigration lawyers will upload online all the supporting documents to be considered in support of the immigration application.
  • Follow up work: Our immigration lawyers will carry out all the follow up work until decision by the Home Office UKVI on the immigration application.

Our One-Off Services For Immigration Applications

Our immigration solicitors can also provide a wide range of one-off legal services for UK visa and immigration applications. Using our one-off services can help those who do not want to use our full service for the immigration application. You can use one of the following one-off legal services offered for UK visa and immigration applications:

Our Fixed Fees For UK Ancestry Visa Applications

Our fixed fees for UK Ancestry visa applications are as given in the fee table below:

Our Service Our Fixed Fees Range
Full service for Entry Clearance for UK Ancestry Visa to cover all the work until decision by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) From £1,200 To £2,000 (no VAT)
Full service for extension of UK Ancestry visa from inside the UK through Priority or Super Priority Service to cover our work until decision on your application From £1,000 + VAT To £2,000 + VAT
Full service for ILR as a UK Ancestry migrant from inside the UK through Priority or Super Priority Service to cover our work until decision on your ILR application From £1,000 + VAT To £2,000 + VAT

The agreed fixed fee will depend on the complexity of the application and the volume of casework involved in the application. In addition to our fixed fee for the application, the applicant also has to pay the Home office UKVI fees for the application.

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