POSTERN

United Kingdom

UK Ancestry visa. A Commonwealth citizen with a UK-born grandparent (from either parent's side) can come to Britain to work freely for five years, with no sponsor, no job offer, and no points test.

Free · The law behind every answer · Checked Sep 27, 2026

UK Ancestry visa

5 years' permission to live and work in the UK, freely, with no sponsor.

Who qualifies

  • The applicant must be a Commonwealth citizen (or British Overseas Citizen, British Overseas Territories Citizen, British National (Overseas), or Zimbabwean citizen), aged 17 or over.
    GOV.UK: UK Ancestry visa — Overview
  • One grandparent, on either side of the family, was born in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or (before 31 March 1922) what is now Ireland, or on a UK-registered ship or aircraft.
    GOV.UK: UK Ancestry visa — Overview
  • The applicant must intend to work in the UK and be able to support themselves and any dependants without public funds; the application must be made from outside the UK.
    GOV.UK: UK Ancestry visa — Overview

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

1

Does it fit your family?

One question, from the program’s own rules.

How old are you?

Not legal advice.

2

What it takes.

Age
17 or older.
Time
Decisions typically arrive within 3 weeks of a complete application, made from outside the UK.
Cost
About $2,500 per adult: £726 visa fee (from 8 April 2026) plus £1,035 per year of Immigration Health Surcharge (5 years upfront).
The hard part
Documenting the grandparent's UK birth: a birth certificate, plus the unbroken chain of birth and marriage certificates linking the applicant to that grandparent.
3

Citizens by 2034.

If your first permit is issued in 2027 and you keep living there, this is the road.

  1. 2027
    First residence permit

    5 years, renewable for 5 years at a time.

  2. 2032
    Permanent residence

    Indefinite Leave to Remain: pass the Life in the UK test (ages 18–64), prove English at B1 or above, and spend no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months.

  3. 2033
    Apply for citizenship

    With a language test and a civics test.

  4. 2034
    Citizenship

    The decision usually takes 6–6 months.

Language
English at B1 or above (an approved test or a degree taught in English); usually already shown for settlement.
Civics
The Life in the UK test: 24 questions in 45 minutes on British traditions, history and customs, £50. Passed once, it counts for both settlement and citizenship.
Time away
At least 5 years living in the UK, with no more than 450 days outside it in those 5 years and no more than 90 days in the last 12 months. You must also have held settlement for 12 months.
Two passports
Yes. You keep your U.S. citizenship.
  • The government plans 'earned settlement', raising the usual wait for settlement from 5 to 10 years, shorter or longer by earnings and contribution. As of September 2026 it is still a proposal: the consultation closed on 12 February 2026 and no rules have been laid, so today's 5-year rules still apply. When the rules come, they may reach people already on a route.
  • GOV.UK says a citizenship decision usually takes 6 months and some take longer.
The law behind these dates
4

Living there.

Time you must spend there
The program sets no minimum number of days. Renewal still expects it to be your home.
Tax
UK tax residence follows the Statutory Residence Test once settled there; no special regime for this visa.

We never file a tax return. We tell you what applies and brief the professional who does.

5

Start today.

  1. Check eligibility and apply from outside the UK.Open gov.uk ↗
  2. Round up the papers.
    • The papers that prove the family tie
    • Request your FBI Identity History Summary
    • Health cover for the move
6

Or let us run it.

$900for your first year as a founding member. Then $399 a year, automatically.Standard first year: $1,200. Everyone renews at $399.One membership, the whole family. Accounts and activation included.

17 steps, from the first paper to the passport. You do 4 of them: send what we ask for, sign, and show up. We run the rest, and keep every permit renewed on time. Accounts and activation are included, whether you move now or keep the plan ready. Accounts depend on provider availability. Government, record and approved third-party charges are extra.

Run it for my family →
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ISSUED TO

YOUR FAMILY

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