UK Ancestry: Fees and Funds

[Dingledoodie]

I can't seem to find consistent information on the cost of a UK Ancestry Visa, nor how much you have to have in your bank to show that you can support yourself whilst in the UK.

I've read the fees are everything from £150 to £250 and that you need either £800 or £1600 in your bank account.

In addition, I've also read that an application can take anything from a week to a year.

Can anyone please help me clear this up?

Thanks in advance.

[yourgfsucks]

I think you have an ancestry visa confused with a working holiday visa

you can have $0 in the bank for an ancestry visa, you do not need to prove that you can support yourself

An Ancestry Visa is roughly 200 pounds - I paid $400 Canadian.

The process is very quick also - it should take under a week (literally)

All you need to do is provide proof (long form birth certificates) that you are born to a parent that was born to a parent who was born in the UK (tongue twister)

As long as you have all the paperwork in order you should have your passport with visa in hand in a weeks time from when you visited Worldbridge.

[Dingledoodie]

Thanks for that yourgfsucks. Nice and clearly put.

One more thing though... what's Worldbridge?

[Nottsbabe]

I'm sorry but I know for a fact you HAVE to have money in the bank for an ancestry visa. They want to know you have enough to support yourself for atleast the first few months you're there. I'm no expert, I've just done my research...

[cordobaman]

Nottsbabe is certainly right.

Worldbridge is the company contracted by the British Hom Office to handle the visa application proess, but they do not have any say if your application is approved or not.

[yourgfsucks]

you DO not need funds
you DO not have to be able to support yourself

as long as you were born to a parent who was born to a parent that was born in the UK
you can claim your Ancestry visa

There is nothing in the application, or in the process where you have to show them your bank account information

[Nottsbabe]

yourgfsucks, how did you come by this information? It's completely different than anyone else I've spoken to that ever applied for the ancestry visa.

[Joanne]

on the Uk Visa website it specifically says that you DO HAVE to be able to support yourself:

Code: Select all

Do I qualify for UK Ancestry?
You will qualify if you can show that:

    * you are a Commonwealth citizen
    * you are aged 17 or over
    * you have a grandparent who was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man (see note below)
    * you have a grandparent who was born in what is now the Republic of Ireland before 31 March 1922 (see note below)
    * you are able to work and intend to do so in the UK, and
    * you can support yourself and any dependants without needing any help from public funds.


http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply ... ukancestry

And that usually means that you do need funds to prove this.

hope this helps

Joanne