UK Ancestry Visa

You can apply for a UK Ancestry visa if you’re one of the following:

• a Commonwealth citizen
• a British overseas citizen
• a British overseas territories citizen
• a British national (overseas), i.e. BNO
• a citizen of Zimbabwe

You must also:

• prove one of your grandparents was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
• meet the other eligibility requirements

No, you cannot switch to a UK Ancestry visa from within the UK and must apply for an entry clearance for a UK Ancestry visa from outside the UK.

Yes, you can use Priority Service to apply for a UK ancestry visa from outside the UK. The Home Office UKVI normally decides a UK Ancestry visa entry clearance application submitted through Priority Service within five working days. 

Yes, you can extend your UK ancestry visa online for a further period of 5 years if you are unable to apply for your ILR as a UK Ancestry migrant because you do not meet the requirements for ILR, e.g. do not meet the residence requirement to qualify for ILR. 

You must apply for your UK Ancestry visa extension before your current visa expires. You can extend the UK Ancestry visa as many times as you like, as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements.

If your application for a UK Ancestry visa entry clearance application is successful, you will be granted leave to enter the UK for 5 years.

You can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a UK ancestry migrant 28 days before completing 5 years' residence in the UK under the UK Ancestry visa category. Your application may be refused if you apply earlier.

You can apply for indefinite leave to remain if you’ve spent 5 continuous years in the UK on an Ancestry visa.

To qualify for ILR, in most cases, you must have spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 month period.

You must also prove you:

• have enough money to support yourself and your dependants
• can, and plan to, work in the UK
• are still a Commonwealth citizen

If you’re 18 to 64 you’ll need to:

• meet the English language requirements
• book and pass the Life in the UK Test

Yes, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) as a UK Ancestry migrant through Super Priority Service to get a decision on your ILR application within 24 hours. 

If the Home Office refuses your UK ancestry visa application, UKVI, you can file an Administrative Review against the refusal decision. 

Yes, you can submit a fresh application if the Home Office UKVI has refused your UK ancestry visa application. 

The processing time for the UK Ancestry visa application varies depending on the type of service you use to apply for your UK Ancestry visa. 

The processing times for UK Ancestry visa applications are as follows: 

Standard Service: An out-of-country application through standard service takes up to 3 weeks, and an in-country application for extension or ILR through standard service takes up to 8 weeks.

Super Priority Service: An application for extension or ILR as a UK Ancestry migrant submitted through Super Priority Service is normally decided within 24 hours.

With a UK Ancestry visa you can:

• work
• study
• bring your partner or child

Your work can be:

• paid or voluntary
• full-time or part time
• in self-employment or in a job where you’re employed by someone else

You cannot:

• change (‘switch’) into the UK Ancestry visa from within the UK if you came to the UK on a different visa
• get public funds

You must prove that you:

• are 17 or over
• have enough money without help from public funds to support and house yourself and any dependants
• can and plan to work in the UK

You must be one of the following:

• a Commonwealth citizen
• a British overseas citizen
• a British overseas territories citizen
• a British national (overseas), i.e. BNO
• a citizen of Zimbabwe

You must also:

• prove one of your grandparents was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
• meet the other eligibility requirements

You must show that you have a grandparent born in one of the following circumstances:

• in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
• before 31 March 1922 in what is now Ireland
• on a ship or aircraft that was either registered in the UK or belonged to the UK government

You can claim ancestry if:

• you or your parent were adopted
• your parents or grandparents were not married

You cannot claim UK ancestry through step-parents.

Your partner and children can apply for a UK Ancestry dependent visa to join you in the UK as your ‘dependents’ if they’re eligible.

A ‘dependant’ is any of the following:

• your partner
• your child under 18
• your child aged 18 or over who was previously on your or your partner’s visa as a dependant
• You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply.

To qualify for dependant visa as a partner, you must be able to prove one of the following:

• you’re in a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognised in the UK
• you’ve been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply
• you’ve been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply, but you cannot live together, for example, because you’re working or studying in different places, or it’s not accepted in your culture

If you’re not living together, you’ll need to prove that you have an ongoing commitment to each other, for example by providing evidence that you:

• communicate regularly with each other
• support each other financially
• care for any children you have together
• spend time together as a couple, for example, on holiday or at events

To qualify for a dependant visa as a child, they must:

• live with you (unless they’re in full time education at boarding school, college or university)
• not be married, in a civil partnership or have any children
• be supported by you without using public funds

Yes, your dependants can switch to a UK Ancestry dependant visa from inside the UK, subject to meeting the immigration status requirement. 

They cannot apply to switch to a UK ancestry dependant visa from inside the UK if they’re currently in the UK:

• on a visitor visa
• on a Short-term study visa
• on a Parent of a Child Student visa
• on a Seasonal Worker visa
• on a Domestic Worker in a Private Household visa
• on immigration bail
• because they were given permission to stay outside the immigration rules, for example, on compassionate grounds

If your partner or child is currently in the UK on a Student visa, they can only switch if they have either:

• completed the course they were sponsored to study
• studied for a PhD for at least 24 months

The documents to be submitted in support of the application may vary depending on the personal circumstances of the applicant. Generally, you’ll need to provide:

• a current passport (with a blank page for your visa) or another valid travel document
• your full birth certificate
• the full birth certificates of the parent and grandparent your ancestry claim is based on
• evidence that you’re planning to work in the UK, for example job offers you’ve received or a business plan if you’re self-employed
• evidence, such as bank statements, that prove you can support yourself and any dependants in the UK - it must be dated within 31 days from when you submit your application

Depending on your circumstances, you might also need to provide:

• evidence that your parents or grandparents have changed their name since birth, for example marriage or civil partnership certificates or a deed poll
• legal adoption papers if you or your parents are adopted
• your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take a TB test
• proof of your relationship with your partner or children if they’re applying with you

You must for a UK Ancestry visa before you travel to the UK. The earliest you can apply is three months before your travel date. As part of your online application, you will need to book an appointment at a visa application centre to prove your identity. At your appointment, you’ll have your fingerprints and photograph (known as ‘biometric information’) taken.

The visa application centre may keep your passport and documents while processing your application.

Yes, you can apply for ILR as a UK Ancestry migrant through the Super Priority Service. The Home Office UKVI normally decides on an application for ILR as a UK Ancestry migrant within 24 hours.