Ancestry Visa

One of the few visas not affected by the new Australian-style points system, the ancestry visa allows citizens from the Commonwealth countries to live and work in the UK if they have British-born grandparents. The visa is valid for up to five years and may only be applied for from your home country. It can be renewed indefinitely (extensions can be granted in the UK). You can apply if:

•    You are a Commonwealth citizen aged 17 or over
•    You have a grandparent who was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
•    You have a grandparent who was born in what is now the Republic of Ireland before March 31, 1992.
•    You are eligible to work and show you intend to work in the UK
•    You can support yourself and any dependents without public assistance.

The Ancestry Visa application fee is £205. The best way to trace grandparents’ birth certificates is at the General Register Office: www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

For more information see the UK Border Agency’s website: ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk