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Watch this SHORT VIDEO on the UK Ancestry Visa:

Listen to our RECENT WEBINAR where our two British nationality experts - Philip Gamble and Mishal Patel - discuss a family birth in Canada and its implications for claims to British nationality in the modern day.

 

You qualify for a UK Ancestry Visa if you are at least 17 years old, hold a passport from a commonwealth country and one of your grandparents was born in the United Kingdom.

However, even if you DO NOT HOLD a Commonwealth Passport, you still qualify for this visa. This is because, although the Canadian Citizenship Act of 1946 did not confer Canadian Citizenship to you by descent, a later Canadian Act coming into force some ten years after your parent's birth had restored Commonwealth Citizenship to you. So you effectively have Canadian Citizenship and meet the criteria of the UK Ancestry Visa.

This visa allows you to live and work in the UK for 5 years, after which you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain and then Naturalisation as a British Citizen.

If you have a grandparent born in the UK, there are possibilities that you may already meet the requirements of British Citizenship by Descent (from a British parent or a mother or father born in the UK) or British Citizenship Double Descent (from your UK-born grandparent).

PLEASE NOTE

If the parent through which you can obtain this Ancestry Visa spent at least 2-3 years in the UK, and you have not yet turned 18 years old (i.e you are younger than 18), then you may be able to Register as British under new UK Immigration rules. Please refer to British Citizenship by Double Descent (PG-UKM2010).

An extension to the Ancestry visa is available (strictly speaking, the visa is re-issued) to a candidate holding an existing and valid Ancestry visa. This occurs at the expiry of an existing Ancestry Visa and happens when you have NOT yet met the UK residency requirements for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

More information about the UK Ancestry Visa

Strictly speaking, this Visa is an Employment category visa. This is because the candidate must demonstrate that they are employable and should make every effort to maintain this during their stay in the UK. It is still a TEMPORARY RESIDENCY visa, but it is formally considered WORK AUTHORISATION.

The Ancestral visa entitles holders to seek employment in any field in the UK for a period of up to five (5) years. After five years, holders may be able to apply for ILR as long as they continue to meet the requirements of their visa and have not travelled outside the UK for longer than the permissible time periods.

This time period is 6 months in total over the 5 year period and specifically, no more than 3 consecutive months, outside of the UK.

To read more about the specific countries that contribute the most UK Ancestry Visas issued, please see:

Click here for more information on:

To discover whether you are entitled to a British Passport because you have a UK-born grandparent, take 2 minutes to complete our FREE Nationality Search...

For more information on the UK Ancestry Visa, please email info@whatpassport.com.

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Ask Philip Gamble whether you (or your children) have a claim to British nationality.

ASK PHILIP GAMBLE NOW!
Learn more about these routes to British Nationality:

WhatPassport.com is a specialist UK Nationality and British Citizenship site offering an online search and assessment. Claims to hold a British Passport can be complex and the site offers a quick, simple search to give you the answers. While many people qualify for the UK Ancestry Visa based on holding a Commonwealth passport with a UK born grandmother or grandfather, we have found that if you have a grandparent born in the UK, or if your mother is British or your father is British, then there are several scenarios where you can claim British Nationality and the right to hold a British Passport. This stems from Britain’s collection of British Colonies, British Protectorates and British Protected States in the middle of last century and the Nationality rules concerning what are now the countries of the Commonwealth.

WhatPassport.com is a subsidiary of Sable International.

Sable International offers a range of services relating to UK and Australian immigration. For over 20 years, we have been helping people with their UK and Australian visa applications. We assist with applications for Ancestry visas, spouse visas, work visas, Tier 1 visas, UK working holiday visas, UK dependant visas, Tier 4 visas, UK Visitor visas, sponsorship visas or UK permanent residency or indefinite leave to remain. We also specialise in UK visa extensions. If you’ve overstayed your visa, our Overstayer Status Trace service can assist to regularise your visa status.