A UK Ancestry visa is available to Australians with a specific family connection to the UK. If you can prove one of your grandparents was born in the UK then you could be eligible. Ancestry is a popular route to UK residency.
The UK Ancestry visa is one of the most sought-after visa options for Australians. You can live and work in the UK for a period of up to five years on an Ancestry visa, as well as exit and re-enter the UK freely on multiple occasions. This is also a direct route to permanent residency.
This visa is also an excellent option if you have a spouse, partner and/or children. As an Ancestry visa holder you may bring a spouse/partner and any dependant children (under the age of 18) with you and they may stay for the same length of time as you.
How do you qualify for a UK ancestry visa?
As Australians are considered Commonwealth citizens, you can apply for an Ancestry visa if you can show that:
- You are aged 17 years or over
- You have a grandparent who was born in the UK
- You are able to work
- You intend to take employment in the UK
- You are able to support and house yourself and any dependants without reliance on public funding
You can also claim ancestry if you or your relevant parent was adopted. This will not work through your step-parents however.
You may bring your spouse, partner [1] and/or dependant children with you. They are allowed to stay for the same amount of time as you and there aren’t any restrictions relating to their employment.
You cannot:
- Switch to this visa if you came to the UK on a different one
- Get public funds
Obtaining indefinite leave to remain with an Ancestry visa
Ancestry visas are issued for five years. At the end of that period, if you have lived in the UK continuously – spending fewer than 180 consecutive days outside of the country – you may apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR).[2]
After spending 12 months on ILR, you may be eligible to naturalise as a British citizen and gain UK citizenship.
Living and working in the UK
The key benefit of the UK Ancestry visa is that you are allowed to work in any field without restriction. This is beneficial to anyone looking to switch fields or start their career in the UK. You can change jobs without approval from the Home Office.
Travelling in and out of the UK is seamless when you hold this visa. You may exit and re-enter multiple times without putting your visa status at risk, which is a key benefit should you need to travel for work.
The UK Ancestry visa application process
You must apply for a UK Ancestry visa from Australia. You are expected to enter the UK shortly after the visa is issued. The visa is issued for 30 days, during which time you must enter the country and collect your biometric residence permit. You can also apply for the Ancestry visa multiple times, and there is no cooling-off period between applications..
What does the UK Ancestry visa cost?
There are various costs associated with applying for a UK Ancestry visa.
The primary cost is the visa itself, which currently costs £516.
You will also need to pay the immigration health surcharge as part of your application. You can calculate the exact costs on the UK gov website.
Extending your UK Ancestry visa
You can stay in the UK for five years on this visa. After the five years have passed, you may be able to either:
- Apply to extend your visa for a further five years
- Apply to settle permanently in the UK