Leave To Remain/Right of Abode/British Passport

Hey Everyone,

I'm just new to this, and I have a bit of a question:

I have been living in the UK for nearly 4 years now... A year ago this past august I married a Scotsman, and now comes my dilemma. As I applied for an ancestry visa, I was allowed to stay here for four years. I keep getting conflicting information though, with regards to how I stay in the UK. I have heard I can get a British Passport, or that I can get Leave to Remain, or I can get Right of Abode... does anyone know which I should be applying for or which I'm most likely to get, as my visa runs out the end of February. I do know that I can't just stay due to marriage, that I have to actually apply for an extension or that sort of thing.

Can anyone help?

Cheers the now!

Meaghan

Hi Meaghan,
Hopefully Brenda will answer this as she has the exact same situation. I don't really know for sure but I'd think that you would qualify for indefinite leave to remain now and after 3 years of living here could be naturalized. I would assume that since you have been here for 4 years that you could be naturalized now, again not sure.
I only just became a citizen recently but my American husband qualifies for naturalization as he is married to a citizen and has been here for three years.
Michelle

Hello.

Seeing as how you are nearing the end of your Ancestry permit, the easiest thing to do is apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.* You are entitled to do this when your ancestry permit nears expiration. This does not confer citizenship, but allows you to live here. According to the information I have read, this should be done about one month before your ancestry permit expires.

You need to download an application and book an appointment with the
www.homeoffice.gov.uk
You might want to call the United Immigration and Nationality Enquiry Bureau on 0870 606 7766 so they can offer you guidance on your situation.
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*You could have stayed in the UK due to your marriage. I applied for a marriage visa Sept 2003 eventhough I already had an ancestry permit because I wasn't sure if I would be able to find work and an ancestry permit requires you to be more self-sufficientwhereas a marriage visa can take into account your spouse's earnings and whatnot.

If you haven't been working, then I would consider applying to a marriage visa now. It is good for two years after which point you can apply for indefinite leave to remain.

I hope this helps,

Brenda

Hi! I went to London on the ever famous working holiday visa and absolutely loved it. Of course, after the two years was up I had to leave and here I am trying everything to get back there to live and I keep hitting dead ends. i get some new info and then find out the catch. I've been told 12 different versions to one story and it's really confusing. My only hope now is to get a work permit because i don't qualify for any other visa but I've heard that it's really hard to obtain one. Is this true? I would be working in the travel industry as I am studying for my travel diploma. Has anyone ever successfully got a work permit? and how hard was it to get one? Any help would be greatly appreciated........ Cheers!

Hi! In response to the work permit thing....from what my friends tell me it really isn't that hard. Now there is the inevitable catch, of course. What part of the travel industry will you be looking to work in? I work in hotels - have for 10 years now, but I am here on an Ancestry visa.

I have a good friend who came on a working holidaymaker visa, and is now here on a regular work permit. She had a relatively easy time of it. That, from what I understand, is because she, like me, works in hotels. Hotels in the UK are chronically understaffed, so they are desperate for trained staff.

Best of luck!

I ideally would want to work in a travel agency as I am studying to be a travel consultant, but if working in a hotel would get me one, i'm willing to do that. I just really want to return because I love it so much. How long can you get a work permit for to work in a hotel? How do I go about getting one? Thanks for your help! I really appreciate it. Cheers....!