I’m writing this for any Aussies out there who want to apply for a UK Ancestry visa and so I don’t forget what I had to do if I ever have to apply for myself again.
Getting a UK ancestry visas for us was a slightly stressful process. In the end it was processed and delivered within two weeks but the process was at times quite vague. The main stress point is that the fees are upfront and non refundable and if you apply for the wrong kind of visa you have to reapply and pay the application fee again. Moreover, the UK ancestry website doesn’t prescribe what documentation you need to send to justify your application, it is up to you to decide what documentation best supports your case.
Help line
In Australia the British High Commission provides two phone numbers which you can call with any queries about the process of applying. One number is a 1902 number which is charged by the minute and the other is a 1300 number of which you must give your credit card details upfront and they charge you at $9.90 flat fee - but you can talk as long as you like. Ring them, they are helpful, but make sure you write your questions down before hand.
You are eligible for a UK ancestry visa if one of your grandparents was born in the UK and you are a commonwealth citizen. You have to show that you intend to work in the UK and under this visa you have no recourse to public funds - that’s even printed on the visa! The visa is good for five years and you can reapply at the end of that.
The form
In Australia you have to apply for the visa online by filing out a fairly long form. You are then required to print out the form and take it to your nearest British consulate. There they will give you a biometric interview - which means they will take your fingerprints on this awesome looking green lit fingerprint scanner and take your photo. You will need to bring along your application form, the interview confirmation form and your Australian passport.
Filing out the form ain’t straight forward either. The visa type you are after is “Employment (Non Points-Based System)” and the subtype is “UK Ancestry”.
The form will ask you when you plan to arrive in the UK and how long you are planning to stay. You are not bound to these dates but they use this to determine the starting date of the visa. The latest they will start the visa is three months from when you apply.
As we are travelling with our children they are my dependants according to the visa. We had to provide all their details PLUS fill in individual forms (and pay individual fees) for them.
You will have to provide all of your current financial details to prove that you have enough funds to get setup in the UK. You will need to provide original bank statements (not ones off the internet) for the last three months and those statements cannot be older than 28 days. You need to show that you have at least $3000 for each person that will be going, i.e. you and your dependants.
You need to show that you are capable of getting work in the UK. You will need to send in your resume or show details of communications between you and any prospective British employers. They don’t expect you to have a job lined up but they want to see that you are capable.
You will need to provide a UK address of where you will be initially staying. This can be a Hotel/B&B, family or friends.
Dependants
Since my wife is eligible for a British passport she is not considered a dependant in terms of my visa, but our children are. We had to apply for them individually. For a dependant you again need to apply for a “Employment (Non points-based system)” but the subtype will be “Dependants more than 6 months”. Be careful that you get this right as once you paid your money there are no refunds!
Children over who are 5 and older must submit to a biometric interview. Our kids loved it, for what it is worth.
Documents
The documents we provided to support our case was:
- Passports for me and the children
- Original birth certificates for me and the children
- My grandfather English birth certificate
- My mum’s birth certificate to prove the lineage
- My Australian citizenship certificate, proving that I am a commonwealth citizen
- Bank statements proving funds
- My Resume detailing all my work experience in IT
- My University degree
- Emails with companies I had talked to about getting work in the UK
Send off
You will need to mail your application plus all your original documents to the British High Commission. You will need to include a reply paid envelope large enough to return your passports and original documents. They do not accept registered mail envelopes to return to you, but they recommend Australia Post Platinum Express service. We found this quite suitable. It cost $15 dollars each way in postage.
Advice
If you are in doubt over any of the details ring the help line! We ended up ringing them three times.
If you have any questions relating to visas post a comment. I will try to answer them as best I can, but I AM NOT AN IMMIGRATION LAWYER - or lawyer of any kind for that matter. Enjoy!
