Ancestry Visas

Apply to come to the UK if your grandparent was born here

Ancestry visas are available to people with certain types of British citizenship, Commonwealth citizens and citizens of Zimbabwe. If eligible, you must show that you have a grandparent who was born in any of the following places:

• 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

What you must prove 

You must be 17 or over and have enough money to support yourself in the UK. Finally, you must be able to work and plan to work in the UK. You can still apply if you are related to your grandparent through adoption. It does not matter if your parents and grandparents were not married. If successful, the Home Office will grant you five years’ permission to live and work in the UK. You can apply to ‘settle’ permanently here with Indefinite Leave to Remain at the end of that time.

Settling permanently in the UK on the Ancestry Route

You must still be working when you apply for settlement. We have seen refusals of Ancestry settlement applications when the person has stopped working. If you are temporarily not working, you must show that you intend to work in the near future. You will have to show that you can still support yourself financially and are still a type of British Citizen, Commonwealth citizen or citizen of Zimbabwe. It is also essential that you have not spent long periods outside the UK during the five years.

You must pass the Life in the UK and English language tests at level B1 for the Indefinite Leave to Remain application. There are exemptions to the B1 test for certain English-speaking countries.

Family Members 

Your partner and child under 18 can apply to the UK as dependants on your ancestry visa. They can do this at the same time as you or later on. A partner can be a spouse, a civil partner or an unmarried partner if you have lived together for over two years. Your dependents must prove they are related to you. You must show that you can financially support and accommodate them.  

When you apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, your dependants can apply simultaneously, even if they have not lived in the UK for five years. They must, however, have been here as your Ancestry dependants. A child who has turned 18 while here as a dependant can still apply for settlement as your dependant. They must pass the B1 language and Life in the UK tests.

Ancestry Visas are Work Visas 

Remembering that an Ancestry Visa is a work visa is very important. The Home Office will not grant you permission to enter the UK or stay here permanently if you cannot work or do not intend to work here.

Please contact our team if you have any queries about the Ancestry Visas and would like advice or support.