How to qualify for the UK Ancestry Visa
The applicant must be a citizen of the Commonwealth country and must be 17 years of age or older. One of their grandparents must be a British citizen born in the United Kingdom, on the Isle of Man, on the Channel Islands, and Ireland (born before March 31, 1922).
The grandparent can be on either side of the family. The grandparents can be their blood grandparent or if their parents were adopted, the adoption process must be valid and recognized by UK law. There is also no requirement for their parents or grandparents to have been married at the time of their birth.
Who are Commonwealth Citizens?
Recently, the definition of 'citizens of commonwealth countries' has been amended on the Immigration law. It now includes British Territories citizens, British Nationals (Overseas), British Overseas citizens and British subjects.
For example, Zimbabwe is no longer a Commonwealth country. However, Home Office treats Zimbabwe nationals as part of the Commonwealth for the purpose of applying for the Ancestral visas. If you are of British descent as a Zimbabwe citizen, you can still apply.
Cyprus and Malta's citizens were previously free to move to the UK as EU citizens, however, with the Brexit, they can no longer make use of free movement. Cyprus and Malta are also part of the Commonwealth citizens, therefore can now apply for the Ancestry visa if they have a British-born grandparent
Requirements for a UK Ancestry visa
There is no age limit on applying for a UK Ancestry visa, and if you apply for entry clearance, you must be at least 17 years old on the date you intend to arrive in the UK. If you are under 18 years of age on the date of application, you must have parental consent. There is no upper age limit. Older applicants must prove their intention and ability to work in the UK.
- There is no English requirement.
- There is no specified amount of finds that an applicant must be old for a UK Ancestry Visa application. However, the applicant must show that they can adequately maintain and accommodate themselves and dependents without receiving public funds in the UK.
- There are no work restrictions on the visa holders. Even though there are no work restrictions, they have to work and intend to work. The visa holder will be able to start their own business or take up employment. It is also possible to combine employment and self-employment. If they do not intend to work, the visa will be refused.
Dependant families
The UK Ancestry visa holder can apply for their spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, and dependent children to join them in the UK. The dependants will be granted the same period of leave as the main applicant. They will also be able to work without restriction.
Length of Stay
The UK Ancestry visa is granted for five years and after 5 years, visa holders can apply for settlement. If the visa holder does not fulfil the criteria for applying for settlement, they can apply for a visa extension. They can apply for ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) when they can meet all the relevant criteria for settlement.