Today we will talk about the UK Ancestry Visa, the criteria one ought to meet in order to obtain it and other key aspects. To begin with, this type of visa enables qualified applicants to get entry into the UK due to their ancestral links to the country.
Numerous Canadians, South Africans, Aussies, Indians, and others have ancestral connections to the UK. Nevertheless, many don’t realize that this could help them to obtain British citizenship. For the most part, this type of visa offers Commonwealth nationals that have a grandparent born in the UK, Isle of the Man or the Channel Islands to migrate to the UK.
On that note, what are the conditions the applicant should meet?
- For starters, you have to demonstrate that one of your grandparents has been born in the UK, including the Isle of the Man and the Channel Islands. Also, he/she ought to have been born before the 31st of March 1922.
- Additionally, if your parent was born on a British registered ship or aircraft, you can obtain an ancestry visa.
- He/she should be above 17 years old.
- The applicant should have the capability and intention to become employed in the UK.
- He/she ought to apply for the ancestry visa from his/her home country.
- He/she is expected to have the means to support oneself without depending on public funds.
After successfully applying for the ancestry visa, you’ll receive a visa for five years. During that time, you can work and live in the UK as Entry Clearance. Once the five years have passed, you can choose to apply for an extension for indefinite leave to remain or leave to remain in the UK (ILR).
Documentation required
- Original current passport and previous passports
- The birth certificate of your grandparent
- If you’re applying via your grandmother, you’ll need a marriage certificate, as well
- Your birth certificate
- The birth certificate of your parent (the one related to the grandparent you’re applying through)
- Resume
- Two passport-sized photos
- Bank statements for the past three months (your bank should authorize them)
Potential challenges you might encounter
- The applicant doesn’t have the original birth certificate of the grandparent
Although this problem is one of the most commonly met, it is easily solvable. In the event in which you don’t have the original birth certificate of your grandparent, you can contact an immigration lawyer. He/she will direct you and help you with finding other documentations that testify that aspect.
- The applicant doesn’t have the financial means to sustain himself/herself in the UK
When you send the application form for the Ancestry visa, you are expected to have approximately 1,600 GBP in your bank account. Nevertheless, you aren’t required to source for that sum all by yourself. Many choose to obtain those finances through sponsors, which is actually supported by the UK government. The only condition is for that person to send an official letter that would state their sponsorship to the UK government.
- The applicant doesn’t have a job offer in the UK
If you wish to apply for ancestry visa in the UK, you won’t be required to present a place of employment. What you need to do is indicate that you are in the process of searching for a job. On that note, make sure you are an active participant on online portals for recruitments.
To sum up, even though getting an ancestry visa could seem like a lot of work, in the long run, it is worth the effort. If you wish to expand your knowledge on the matter, you should go to https://www.wmimmigration.com/uk-work-visas/uk-ancestry-visa/.