Visas
Ancestry
AncestryCommonwealth nationals who have a grandparent who was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man may enter the UK for a period of five years on a UK ancestry visa. This ancestry visa will open up the entire job market to you for five years and will not carry the restrictions as a UK work permit. Please note that you will have to prove your relationship, and this may require spending a lot of time hunting for old marriage certificates, birth certificates, etc.
The main criteria are that you are able to support yourself without access to public funds and are willing and able to work. It is advantageous, but not necessary, to have a firm offer of employment in the UK.
After five years continuous stay in the UK on an Ancestry visa you may apply for permanent residency.
Commonwealth countries
| Antigua and Barbuda | Australia | The Bahamas |
| Bangladesh | Barbados | Belize |
| Botswana | Brunei Darussalam | Cameroon |
| Canada | Cyprus | Dominica |
| Fiji Islands | The Gambia | Ghana |
| Grenada | Guyana | India |
| Jamaica | Kenya | Kiribati |
| Lesotho | Malawi | Malaysia |
| Maldives | Malta | Mauritius |
| Mozambique | Namibia | Nauru |
| New Zealand | Nigeria | Pakistan |
| Papua New Guinea | Samoa | Seychelles |
| Sierra Leone | Singapore | Solomon Islands |
| South Africa | Sri Lanka | St Kitts and Nevis |
| St Lucia | St Vincent and the Grenadines | Swaziland |
| Tonga | Trinidad and Tobago | Tuvalu |
| Uganda | United Kingdom | United Republic of Tanzania |
| Vanuatu | Zambia | Zimbabwe |