UK Ancestry Visa Guidance

UK Ancestry Visa allows Commonwealth citizens who are the immediate descendants of UK nationals permission to live and work in the UK.  Many Indian, New Zealand, Australian, South African, and Canadian nationals have close ancestral ties with Britain.  Many never take advantage of their ancestral rights, even though they are sitting on the proverbial jackpot that is British citizenship.

The UK Ancestry Visa route comes with a challenging application process, and many applicants are denied on their first attempt.  Our lawyers at A Y & J Solicitors have extensive experience with UK Ancestry Visas and have the knowledge and experience to assist with your application.

UK Ancestry Visa Eligibility Requirement

To successfully apply for a UK Ancestry Visa, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a Commonwealth citizen
  • Aged 17 years old or older
  • Have a grandparent born in the UK, Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or in the Republic of Ireland before 31st March 1922
  • You want to work and live in the UK
  • You can support yourself and any dependants without having to rely on public funds
Do you need help with Ancestry Visa?

How Do I Apply for a UK Ancestry Visa?

Unless you are from North Korea, you must apply for the visa online. On the day of your appointment, you will need to have your fingerprints and photograph (known as ‘biometric information’) taken at a visa application centre as part of your application. Our team will assist you at every step of the process.

What Documents Do I Need to Provide with My UK Ancestry Visa Application?

You will need to provide the following documents to enter the UK on an Ancestry Visa. At times, applicant goes through many difficulties while applying for UK Ancestry Visa, but our immigration team can assist you with collating and submitting the following:

  • A passport or other valid travel document
  • Evidence that you have enough funds to support yourself and family member (if any)
  • The results of your tuberculosis test, if applicable
  • Evidence of your claimed relationship to the British national your ancestry claim is based on
  • Evidence that you are planning to work in the UK, for example, job offers you have received or a business plan if you are self-employed

What Are the Advantages of a UK Ancestry Visa?

There are many advantages of UK Ancestry Visa. The main advantage – it offers good route to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain and ultimately British Citizenship. Requirements are not that strict, your entry into the UK for this visa is based solely on family connections. Some of the other advantages are listed below:

  • You can work and live in the UK without restriction.
  • There is no requirement of a work permit or sponsor.
  • There is no requirement for you to invest any finances in the UK unlike with the Investor or Entrepreneur category route.
  • There are no restrictions on the type of employment undertaken during your stay in the UK.
  • Your spouse, civil or unmarried partner and your dependant children can all benefit by joining you in the UK.

How A Y & J Solicitors Can Help if Your UK Ancestry Visa Has Been Refused?

The refusal of a UK Ancestry Visa attracts the full right of appeal.  For those who have received a UK Ancestry Visa refusal, A Y & J Solicitors can help with every aspect of the Appeal.  Our experts will prepare necessary paperwork and represent you before the tribunal.

The first step our lawyers will take once you decided to instruct us is to analyse the reason the visa was refused.  We will then review your past application and supporting documentation and advise whether resubmitting a new application to UKVI would be the best and most cost-effective solution.

The best way to avoid having to go through the stress and expense of resubmitting or appealing a visa refusal is to have our expert team manage your application process in the first instance.  At A Y & J Solicitors we have a proven track record achieving the positive results for our clients through hard work and effective communication.

Unfortunately, you cannot enter Britain on the ancestry route if your claim to British ancestry is via a step-grandparent.

Yes, it makes no difference to the success of your application whether the relevant grandparent was in the legitimate or illegitimate line of descent.

An applicant who has been adopted by his / her parents through an adoption process recognised as valid for UK law can qualify if:

 he/she has been adopted by someone who has a UK-born parent, or;

  • one of his / her parents was adopted by a person born in the UK, or;
  • his / her natural grandparents were born in the UK

The caseworker assessing your application will look at various factors such as your age and any disabilities you may have when deciding whether there is a realistic possibility that you can obtain employment and not have to rely on public funds.  However, if it appears your application has been refused simply because you have a disability, we may be able to challenge the decision under the Equality Act 2010.

An applicant who has not worked or cannot show evidence of attempts to find employment during their initial five-year leave period will not normally qualify for settlement.

A Y & J Solicitors’ Review

My experience with A Y & J Solicitors was really good. Very detailed and knowledgeable. All my questions were answered on time. They are very approachable and friendly. I would highly recommend them – it may be very simple query or a very complex case; you can trust them.

Regards
Tarun

Having found myself in a rather sticky situation I was desperate for advice/help/guidance. I found A Y & J Solicitors through a friend and with in minutes into my first phone call to them, felt a sense of tremendous peace of mind which I had longed for. Mr Yash spoke very professionally and together with his team went on to do the almost impossible and secure an ‘Out of time’ extremely complicated Tier 2 application for myself and a spouse visa for my wife. Yes they are expensive. But their services are well worth it. They are direct & almost every step of the way they were transparent and kept me updated on the status as and when they knew anything. With out a doubt, I can easily say that our experience with them has been fantastic and would highly recommend their services to any one i know that is looking for a good immigration solicitor. Keep up the excellent work Mr. Yash. God Bless. Thumbs up to the excellent team they have.

I went to Globevisas on a friend’s recommendation and I’m glad I did that. These guys are very helpful and they know what they’re talking about. My ILR application was an extremely smooth experience and was granted without any hassles at all. I would recommend Globevisas to anyone who is looking for help to sort out their visa issues!

Success Story on UK Ancestry Visa

UK Ancestry Visa

Difficult Settlement Application Successful under UK Ancestry Visa

Mr J is a South African national who had been in the UK on an ancestry visa for almost five years. During the first few years in the UK he was always employed but in the last few months before his settlement application, he was in the UK as a job seeker. In addition, he…

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Finally, look for a lawyer who is always improving by staying up to date on the UK immigration rules and regulations, and is constantly upgrading their skills. This is particularly important in the UK immigration sector, where laws are changed frequently, and lawyers must know exactly what is required for each type of application or appeal.

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