When you meet the requirements of the UK Ancestry Visa, you will need to understand how you can apply for the visa and what process you must follow. In short, the UK Ancestry Visa allows you to live and work in the UK. It does not come with any working restrictions, paving way for you to be employed, self-employed or even open your company in the UK.
It was a specific visa category opened in line with the British Nationality Act 1981, allowing those with ancestral connections to the UK, to apply for a working visa. You must be a commonwealth citizen and the full list can be found on the UK Home Office website.
As you may have read on the previous page, you can bring your partner and dependants to the UK. They will have to meet their requirements of the immigration policy and will need to apply either with you or can join you in the UK, once you have secured your UK Ancestry Visa. Please remember that you must also satisfy the requirements of meeting the adequate financial threshold and also have adequate accommodation in the UK.
We know that immigration will also be part of the UK’s economy, so immigration requirements change over time, the UK Ancestry does not usually go through any significant changes. The only changes were related to absences, however there is greater discretion applied depending on the reasons why you have spent considerable time outside of the UK.
The visa process of applying for UK Ancestry Visa
Once you have prepared all your documents, and ready to apply, you must lodge your application online at the Home Office website. The application form is dictated by your answers, so you need to read the application correctly, and lodge the application once you are happy with all the answers.
The next screen on your visa application when applying under the UK Ancestry category will allow you to pay the visa fees. Once completed, you would be able to book your visa appointment and complete the submission in person.
We hear a number of feedbacks from our clients when they visit the visa centres, that they are sometimes given advice. Please remember they are not actual case workers nor can they help on the visa process.
Once your visa application is lodged, you will expect to hear back from the Home Office around 8 weeks. You can also choose the priority visa service if you would like to get a decision quicker but you must do so, prior you submit your UK Ancestry visa application.
UK Ancestry Visa refusal
We know that sometimes a decision may be wrong or that you have failed to complete the application correctly or the evidences were missing at the date of application. Getting a UK Ancestry visa refusal is not pleasant news you want to receive. As with all immigration applications, you can seek to challenge the decision.
Here is a list of common grounds of refusal that you should be aware of when applying for the UK Ancestry Visa:
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If you are not a commonwealth citizen, then your application will be refused automatically. This is regardless of meeting the requirements or you have held previous citizenship.
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Your grandparents were not born in the UK or that you cannot provide the evidential ties. As with all immigration based application, evidences are crucial with your legal submission.
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You are not able to work in the UK. As we discussed this earlier, simply not working now is not a ground of refusal but if you fail to show the intention of working in the UK, this would result in the refusal.
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Not being able to meet the adequacy test for either maintenance or accommodation requirements. Simply stating that you would live with family or friends without any evidences are not sufficient. The Home Office will not make contact to check on this.
However not all challenges are appropriate because if you have failed to provide the evidences or missed critical information to the application, then submitting an administrative review would not be advised.
At first, please email us a copy of the decision letter, we will advise on the merits of the refusal and whether it would be advisable to challenge or simply reapply for the UK Ancestry Visa. As we say, going back to the root cause of the problem is better and correcting this, could potential delay in coming to the UK.
Where your UK Ancestry visa is refused and you need some legal advice on what to do next, call us on 0207 237 3388 or you can email us at info@icslegal.com with a copy of your decision letter. We aim to respond within 48 hours but in urgent cases, you can speak to one of our UK Immigration Lawyers on 0207 237 3388.
Travelling to the UK on the UK Ancestry Visa
Once your visa is granted, you will be expected to travel to the UK as soon as possible and in most cases within 30 days. This is because, your visa is valid for 5 years and you would be expected to complete those periods in order to extend your leave to remain in the UK.
Where you have arrived in the UK, you would not be expected to register with the Home Office. Your visa will be activated at port, and the details of your arrival will be inputted into the Home Office Atlas system.
As your visa prevents you from seeking local authority help for housing or seeking public funds from the DWP, you can live with family until you are able to secure employment. You must be self-sufficient throughout your periods of residency in the UK.
At the time of your visa being granted, you would have provided sufficient evidences to show there would be adequate accommodation and financial support available when you come to live in the UK under your UK Ancestry Visa.
Taking legal advice on your UK Ancestry Visa
A visa application needs to be carefully planned and lodged, so if you meet the requirements of your UK Ancestry Visa, we can help and prepare the application. At ICS Legal, we care about how an application is prepared and lodged.
We make sure that you meet each and every requirements of the UK Ancestry visa is met prior submission and provide clear guidance’s. You can speak to one of our UK Immigration Lawyers on 0207 237 3388 or you can email us at info@icslegal.com.
