UK Ancestry Visa

For the purposes of ancestry visa, born in the UK means on being on the British Islands including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

Applicants have to demonstrate that they are able to work and intend to take or seek employment. They should have sufficient funds to support themselves and any dependants without recourse to public funds.

Applicants should be 17 years of age and over. There is no upper age limit.

UK ancestry visa is issued for five years and leads to settlement after five years of continuous residence.

 Where & how to apply for UK Ancestry Visa

Applicants need to demonstrate that they are able to work and intend to take or seek employment. They may bring dependants with them (spouse or unmarried partner and children under the age of 18 as of the date of application). Dependants of ancestry visa holders have the right to work in the UK.

Applicants for the UK ancestry visa should have sufficient funds to support themselves and any dependants without recourse to public funds. There is no specific requirement for the amount of funds they should hold, but savings should be sufficient to cover accommodation and living expenses of the main applicant and dependants for a reasonable time until income is received from employment in the UK.

Eligibility for indefinite leave to remain

Holders of UK ancestry visa can apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years of continuous residence in this category.

Absences from the UK of more than 180 days in any 12 month period break the continuity of residence. Thus, excessive absences may be a barrier to indefinite leave to remain. If it is, the visa can be extended for another five-year period. There is no limit on these extensions.

Continuous employment throughout the five year period is not mandatory, but intention to work has to be demonstrated through the entire period.

 Dependants of persons with UK ancestry

This is perhaps the most privileged immigration category in the whole UK immigration system.

Dependants of ancestry visa holders include the partner and children under 18. What sets them apart from dependants of other migrants is that they can join the main visa holder at any time and apply for indefinite leave to remain at the same time as the main applicant. There is no requirement for any probation period and no requirement for minimum stay in the UK, there are no restrictions on absences before applying for ILR.

Moreover, the spouse of a British citizen who held ancestry visa before becoming a British citizen is entitled to apply for indefinite leave to remain without the usual drag of the spouse visa and without the requirement to have spent five years in the UK.

However, if the main applicant does not meet the requirement for ILR due to excessive absences, dependent family members cannot apply in their own right. The usual way forward is to extend the ancestry visa for an additional stretch of five years. If the main applicant still does not meet the residence requirements, the dependent family members may have the option of applying for indefinite leave to remain under the long residence rule.