UK Ancestry Visa For Canadian Citizens

The UK Ancestry Visa or British Ancestry Visa is for those who have immediate relatives who were born in the UK.

The UK Ancestry Visa is a type of Family Visa for individuals who have at least one grandparent who was born in the UK.

This visa gives you more flexibility for your life in the UK than some other types of visas and can be a good choice if you are eligible. In order to claim ancestry, you have to meet the ancestry visa requirements and provide supporting documentation.

Page Contents

• What Is The UK Ancestry Visa?
• Benefits of the UK Ancestry Visa
• Eligibility requirements
• Ancestry Requirements
• Required Documents
• How To Apply
• UK Ancestry Visa Cost
• Extending the UK Ancestry Visa
• Family Members of the UK Ancestry Visa Applicant
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

With the UK Ancestry Visa, you will be free to work or study within the UK without limits. Once you enter the UK you will be able to freely travel abroad and return. You can bring your partner or child with you to the UK as your dependents.

You will not be limited in the nature of the work you can perform in the UK. You can do both paid and voluntary or unpaid work, and choose to be self-employed or employed by someone else. You can also choose to work full or part-time.

Note that if you are currently in the UK, you cannot switch to the UK Ancestry Visa from another visa.

In order to be eligible for the UK Ancestry Visa, you must meet the following general requirements:

• Applicant must be age 17 or older
• Applicant must be one of the following:
  • a Commonwealth citizen
  • a British overseas citizen
  • a British overseas territories citizen
  • a British national (overseas)
  • a citizen of Zimbabwe
• Applicants must be able to prove they are able to financially support themselves and any dependents without the use of public funds
• Applicant must be able and intend to work in the UK
• Applicant must meet ancestry requirements and be able to provide evidence of ancestry

The grandparent of the applicant must fit under one of the following conditions in order for the applicant to be eligible for the UK Ancestry Visa:

• Grandparent was born in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man
• Grandparent was born prior to March 31, 1922, in what is now Ireland
• Grandparent was born on a ship or an aircraft that belonged to the UK government or was registered in the UK.

Note that you can still qualify for the UK Ancestry Visa if you or your parents were adopted, or if your parents or grandparents had an unmarried partner provided you show evidence of their relationship such as civil partnership certificates. However, under current immigration law, you cannot claim UK ancestry through your step-parents.

As part of your ancestral visa application, you may need to provide details and documents including:

• Your full name and date of birth
• Details of criminal convictions if applicable
• Evidence supporting your ancestry claims, such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or other official documents proving your relative’s UK citizenship
• A current passport from your home country with at least one blank page available for the visa
• Expired passports and prior travel or immigration information
• Two standard passport-sized photos
• Proof that you will be able to support yourself financially without the use of public funds, such as bank statements that must be dated 31 days from the time of your application
• Evidence that you are planning to work in the UK such as job offers or business plans if you intend to be self-employed
• Legal adoption papers if applicable
• Evidence of any name changes for you, your parents, or your grandparents
• Certified translated copies of any documents that were not originally in English

The fastest and most efficient way to apply is online through the UK government gov.uk website if you are currently in Canada. The visa application will ask you for your identifying information and personal details about you and your family members to provide support for your claim of ancestry.

You will need to submit your portfolio of documentation when you submit your visa application.

After submitting the visa application you will need to make an appointment for your biometric information (fingerprints and a photograph). This will be used for your Biometric Residence Permit in the UK. You will need to obtain this permit within 10 days of your arrival if your visa is approved.

Typically you should receive your visa decision for the UK Ancestry Visa within about three weeks via email when applying for the standard application time. The processing time can be delayed in some instances. Reasons for delays include:

• If you do not provide sufficient documentation
• If you do not meet the financial requirement
• If you have a criminal conviction that needs to be investigated further
• If UKVIS requires further information

You should be notified if your application processing is delayed. If additional documentation is requested after you submit your application, you will need to reply in the timeline given to avoid further delay or refusal of your visa.

When you apply for a UK Ancestry Visa application fee is £516 per applicant for the standard visa application or £1033 when extending the visa.

There is also a small additional charge to receive your biometric information for your Biometric Residence Permit. You may also have to pay the yearly healthcare surcharge.

You may also have additional fees for third parties you use to obtain the necessary documentation.

At the end of your valid visa term of five years, you can choose to apply to extend your visa for another five years. You must apply prior to the expiration of your current visa. If you wait until your visa is expired to apply for an extension this could affect your chances to have it and other future visas approved.

As long as you apply prior to the expiration of your current visa, you will be able to stay in the UK until you receive the decision on your visa extension. If you travel outside of the UK before you receive the decision, your application may be withdrawn.

You will typically receive the decision on your visa extension within eight weeks of applying via email. You may be able to pay an additional fee to have the process expedited.

As long as you meet the eligibility requirements, you can extend the UK Ancestry Visa as many times as you choose. Each time you extend your visa you will have to pay the application fee. If you have lived in the UK continuously for five years on this visa, you may choose to instead apply to settle permanently in the UK.

You can bring your family members with you to the UK as dependents on a British ancestry visa. They will need to meet the eligibility requirements and complete the proper online form at gov.uk as dependents. They will also need to provide documentation and have their own biometric information taken so they can obtain Biometric Residence Permits.

For this visa, dependents can include:

• Your spouse or partner
• Your child or children who are under the age of 18 at the time of application
• Your child or children who are over the age of 18 but were classified as dependents on your previous visa or your partner’s previous visa

In order to qualify your family members as dependents, you must be able to provide evidence such as marriage certificates, full birth certificates, and prior visa applications.