Canadian Applying for UK Ancestry Visa While in the UK

I'm wondering if anyone has applied for their UK Ancestry Visa while already in the UK. I will be leaving Canada in early January to live with my fiance in the UK and will just apply there as I have all the necessary paperwork but don't want to stay in Canada and do it all here. Has anyone done this and can you give any advice on how your process went for you? It would be easy to just marry him straight away, but I am waiting for my Canadian divorce to be finalized and am not certain exactly when that will be.

Hi,

You should do some further research as you normally must be outside of the country in order to submit your Ancestry Visa.

I submitted my documents on a Monday and had the visa back in my hands the following Monday. If you start the process now you could have the visa before January. Going to the UK and then applying will likely incur the additional costs of leaving the UK while you wait.

Start the process now and it will make your arrival in the UK much smoother.

Robert

Thanks Robert - to clarify, that was a week wait time but you first had to have your biometrics appointment and how long did that take to get? Where were you in Canada? We are re-checking with the UK sources to clarify as well and will post anything I learn.

Hi,

I applied on a Wednesday and went in on the following Monday. From there it took a week to process everything. I am positive that spending a few weeks here getting all your stuff together will make the trip to the UK much better.

Good Luck

Robert

My Uk Ancestry Visa only took 3 days to approve and they said I will have my Visa within three days. I applied on Friday went for Biometrics Monday and found out the Wed I was approved. They are very slow this time of year so as long as you have all your paperwork in order you will have no issue. As far as I know you HAVE to be in Canada to apply for the Visa.

Hope that helps.

PS I applied in Toronto.

Krys

It's true that you can't switch to UK Ancestry while in the UK. You'll have to leave and apply from outside.

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First of all - thank you Rob for responding to my question so promptly. My UK fiance re-checked and it turned out you were absolutely correct - you cannot apply for the UK Ancestry Visa from within the UK, he had been give misinformation previously. I applied online on Wednesday, December 8th and booked my Worldbridge biotmetrics appointment for Monday, December 13th in Vancouver. It was a very easy appointment as I already had all my paperwork and documentation ready so just a matter of handing it in and having my biometrics (fingerprints) and another photo taken. They sent it off via DHL right from their office and on Thursday, December 16th I received a Visa approval confirmation email. By Friday, December 17th I received the courier package with my original documents and my passport with my 5 year Visa!
Looking forward to my new life in England and hopefully running into some fellow Canadians there as well!
Kimberley P to be

Out of curiousity, why did you opt for a UK ancestry Visa over a UK passport?

Since my father and grandparents on both sides were born in the UK I'm eligible for a UK passport so I'm considering getting it over a Tier-2 intra-company visa because it will make life easier.

Hi,

I applied for the Ancestry because my only UK connection was a British born Grandparent.

Robert

Hi Kimberley,
So glad I found your thread about the ancestry visa. I'm in the exact same situation with my girlfriend except all the marriage part.

I'm living in London England and my girlfriend from Toronto is coming over. She plans to apply for the ancestry visa if her passport application doesn't work out. (Her father is British born and his parents are too.)

I notice you said you submitted your ancestry visa application online? Where abouts did you do this? And where did you go for the biometrics appointment? Is that something you had to arrange yourself?
Also, as well as your grandparents birth certificates, did you need their marriage certificate?

Sorry for all the questions, but I hope you can help me out!

Thanks