UK Ancestry visa Guide

5. Work requirement

You must be able to work and intend to seek and take employment in the UK. You must indicate on your application form if you intend to work in the UK. If you tick ‘no’ to this question, your application may be refused. You must provide evidence that you are either already working or self-employed in the UK or able to work and intend to seek and take employment.

You do not have to be working or have a confirmed job at the time you apply. You need only demonstrate you are able to work and intend to seek and take employment. Evidence of this could include, but is not limited to:

• job offers from UK employers,
• evidence of previous work history (in any country) or relevant qualifications,
• evidence of applications you have made to UK employers,
• evidence of registration with a UK recruitment agency,
• evidence of any steps you have undertaken to improve your chances of finding work – for example, relevant training courses,
• a business plan or expressions of interest from potential clients (if you intend to be self-employed)

You can do any kind of work, at any skill level, including full-time or part-time work, self-employment or voluntary work and the work does not have to be with a licensed sponsor.

It should be noted that the definition of ‘employment’ in paragraph 6 of the Immigration Rules includes “paid and unpaid employment”; this means that if you are undertaking, or intends to undertake, voluntary work, particular attention will be paid to your ability to meet the financial requirement.

6. Financial and accommodation requirement

The financial and accommodation requirement, at the initial visa application stage, is relatively liberal. All applicants must meet the financial requirement however there is no set level of funds the applicant must hold but they must show they can maintain and accommodate themselves and any family members applying to join them in the UK, without access to public funds. Evidence of finances must be as set out in Appendix Finance to the Immigration Rules and be dated no more than 31 days before the date of application.

This would mean showing that:

• the applicant has more money available than a British family would receive in Universal Credit, or that their savings exceed the Universal Credit level; and
• that the proposed accommodation would be owned or legally occupied by the applicant and their dependants, and not be overcrowded.

But there is no need to stick rigidly to the Appendix FM rules as applicants can rely on credible support from a third party (such as money from a parent or friend) to meet this requirement.

7. Documents you must provide

As this application is based on the British Citizenship of a grandparent, you will be required to provide enough evidence to demonstrate the lineage and their British heritage and any other relevant documents.

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

• a current passport (with a blank page for your visa) or another valid travel document
• your full birth certificate
• the full birth certificates of the parent and grandparent your ancestry claim is based on
• evidence that you’re planning to work in the UK, for example job offers you’ve received or a business plan if you’re self-employed
• evidence, such as bank statements, that prove you can support yourself and any dependants in the UK – it must be dated within 31 days from when you submit your application

Depending on your circumstances, you might also need to provide:

• your CV,
• if you have previously worked: evidence of previous work such as payslips, contracts of employment or reference letters,
• evidence that your parents or grandparents have changed their name since birth, for example marriage or civil partnership certificates or a deed poll
• legal adoption papers if you or your parents were adopted.
• your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take a TB test
• your marriage certificate or civil partnership registration document if your spouse or civil partner wants to join you in the UK

Given that the Immigration Rules do not specify what evidence the applicant must submit, alternative evidence may be accepted if you are unable to provide one or more of the documents above.