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Ancestry Visa

Is or was one of your grandparents a British Citizen but your parents are not? This visa may apply to you.
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Ancestry Visa

The UK Ancestry route enables Commonwealth citizens, British overseas citizens, British Overseas Territories citizens or British national (overseas) who have at least one grandparent born in the UK, the Channel Islands or Isle of Man to come to work, study and eventually settle in the UK.

Applicants can work and study in the UK. Dependants can join main applicants and after continuous residence of 5 years they qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK.

How we can help

We have significant experience in UK Ancestry applications, we assist clients by ensuring the application is sound to increase their chances of a successful application. Herrington Carmichael’s experienced Immigration team can ensure your application is managed in a co-ordinated manner, with you kept updated every step of the way.

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What our clients say about us

We have also greatly benefited from the excellent work of Usof Shah, Immigration Director, whose expertise has been instrumental in helping our members address critical skills shortages in the construction industry. Usof has provided clear, actionable guidance on immigration laws, empowering our members to legally employ skilled foreign workers and sustain their businesses. His commitment extends beyond traditional legal services - he has delivered live webinars and offered free advice to some of our SME members, which was highly valued and, in several cases, helped save their companies. This combination of deep legal expertise, accessibility, and genuine care for clients' success sets him apart from others in the field.

Throughout my UK career, I came across many solicitors and solicitor firms. But Herrington Carmichael is the best so far. Their quick response, wider knowledge, and straightforward decisions come with a very competitive advisory fee. I can easily recommend them, and I did. Their success rate for me is 100%. In a nutshell, they are brilliant.

The individual deals with my requirements and makes sure I fully understand what he is advising and what the best way to proceed is.

Responsive, commercial, and able to explain immigration requirements in clear, simple terms.

The individuals we work with stand out for being approachable, knowledgeable, and responsive. Usof Shah, in particular, has been extremely professional, helpful, and practical in his advice.

Usof Shah stands out for his strong combination of technical expertise, commercial awareness, and responsiveness. He is able to explain complex immigration matters in a clear and practical way while remaining highly approachable and solutions-oriented throughout the process. What differentiates him from competitors is the level of personal attention and ownership he brings to matters. He is proactive, detail-oriented, and demonstrates a strong understanding of the operational and business needs of his clients rather than approaching matters from a purely technical perspective. I have particularly valued his responsiveness, clear communication, and ability to manage matters efficiently under tight timelines. He consistently provides pragmatic advice and maintains a high level of professionalism, which creates a strong sense of confidence and reliability throughout the engagement.

Usof Shah and his team stood out for their professionalism, responsiveness, and clear communication.

Herrington Carmichael’s team stands out for its strong expertise in immigration matters, combined with a highly personalized and responsive service. Over the past few years, they supported me and three members of my family, managing each of our individual cases efficiently and professionally. Compared to other firms, they are notably more organized and responsive.

Thank you for helping me to apply the exceptional assurance and I got the application succeed very quickly.

Usof was a pleasure to work with and his wealth of knowledge on the topic of immigration law was evident. We collaboratively delivered a successful webinar to hundreds of construction professionals on the post-Brexit immigration system and Usof was able to answer complex questions on the spot, demonstrating his attention to detail and professionalism. We would not hesitate to recommend Usof and Herrington Carmichael.

Usof Shah has been a great source of information and guidance both in setting up to become a sponsor and also in getting candidates sponsored.

The team provides useful guidance and support on the pitfalls and processes of being a sponsor. The team helps set everything up to become a sponsor as well as assisting with processing CoS applications.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to your most pressing questions about our services and processes.

The Ancestry visa can be applied for if you are:

  • A Commonwealth citizen
  • a British overseas citizen
  • a British overseas territories citizen
  • a British national (overseas)
  • a citizen of Zimbabwe

You are aged 17 or over

  • You have enough money to support yourself, and your dependants
  • You intend to work in the UK
  • You have a grandparent born in one of the following circumstances:
    • In the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man
    • Before 31 March 1922 in Ireland
    • On a ship or aircraft that was either registered in the UK or belonged to the UK government
  • People from countries with high levels of TB (tuberculosis) will be required to do a TB test to demonstrate that they are not ill or carriers of the disease.

If you are from a non-English speaking country, you will need to fulfil the English language requirement. You can do this through providing evidence in one of the following ways:

  • Write and pass the SELT test at the level of at least A1 at an approved English language test centre to prove your English language ability. You will need to include your pass certificate in your portfolio of evidence to submit to the Home Office.
  • You hold a degree or higher qualification taught in English at an educational institution recognised by NAIRC
  • You are over 65
  • You are a recognised refugee
  • You are living in the UK as an orphan or widow
  • You are a victim of domestic abuse
  • You have a mental or physical condition which prevents you from sitting the exam
  • You need to prove you have enough money to support yourself (and dependants, if applicable) without the help of public funds
  • Plan to work in the UK and have the ability to
  • You do not have an English Language requirement however you will need to prove your English skills when applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain
  • Adopted children and grandchildren can also apply. Children of parents who were adopted may apply. As can children whose parents were not married. Step-children will not be able to claim ancestry.
  • You may need to do a TB test if you are from a qualifying country.
  • You will need to provide biometric information by attending an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point in your country.

Both your spouse or partner and your children can join your UK Ancestry Visa application as dependants. You will need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply.

A dependent can by any of the following:

  • Your partner
  • Your child(ren) under 18
  • Your child(ren) over 18 who was previously on your partners visa before turning 18

You will need to prove your relationship with your partner with one of the following:

  • You are in a civil partnership or marriage that the UK recognises
  • You have been living together for a minimum of 2 years when applying
  • You have been in a relationship together but due to circumstances, have not been able to live together. Circumstances may include working or studying in different locations, or it is not accepted in your culture/religion.

In the case that you are not living together, you will need to provide evidence of your commitment:

  • Regular communications (WhatsApp messages over the years, emails, phone calls, social media, etc)
  • Proof of financially supporting one another
  • Caring for any children together
  • Photos and proof of spending time together on holidays, at events, etc.

Your child(ren) must:

  • Live with you permanently (unless they are in full-time education at a boarding school or tertiary institution)
  • Not be married, have children or be in a civil partnership
  • be supported by you without the use of public funds.

Your child will not automatically become a British citizen. You will need to add them as a dependent on your visa.

You will need to provide a full UK birth certificate for the child born in the UK, showing the names of both parents. They will need to be on your visa for travel into and out of the country.

You can stay in the UK for up to 5 years on this visa.

The Ancestry visa allows you to stay in the country for 5 years. After 5 years you can either apply for indefinite leave to remain (settlement) or you can extend your visa.

If you choose to extend your visa, the extension will be valid for another 5 years and you will need to apply for each dependent on your visa as well as pay the extension fee of £1,048 per each person applying and the healthcare surcharge of £1,035 per year of the visa per person.

Yes, subject to meeting eligibility requirements, this visa can lead to indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK after 5 years in the UK on this route. After 12 months on ILR, you can apply for British Citizenship.

It costs £637 per person for the visa and you will most likely need to pay the IHS (healthcare) surcharge. The surcharge is currently £1,035 per year. Since this visa is for 5 years, you will need to pay for the 5 years upfront for each dependent.

You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks of submitting the application from overseas, or within 8 weeks of submitting your application from within the UK. Please note, these timeframes are a guideline, and some applications do take longer to receive a decision.

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