UK Ancestry Visa: Conditions Of Stay

• Law Firm: Richmond Chambers Immigration Barristers
• Subject Matter: Immigration, General Immigration, Work Visas
• Author: Ms Isabella Reynard
• Published date: 10 January 2023

If you are granted entry clearance or permission to stay under the UK Ancestry visa, there are a number of conditions you must comply with whilst in the UK.

It is possible to obtain a UK Ancestry visa if you are a Commonwealth citizen over the age of 17 on the date of intended arrival and it can be established that you have a grandparent born in the UK. Further details of the requirements for a UK Ancestry visa can be found in our previous blog.

This post details the conditions of stay once an application for a UK Ancestry visa is successful and leave is granted. Alongside the listed conditions, you will also be allowed to bring family members, such as a spouse and children to live in the UK as your dependants.

No Access to Public Funds Whilst on the UK Ancestry Visa

Under the UK Ancestry visa, you are not permitted to access public funds. This is the reasoning behind the maintenance and accommodation requirements of the visa application. Public funds include the majority of state benefits and housing or homelessness assistance. This includes but is not limited to:

• Attendance allowance, severe disablement allowance, carer's allowance and disability living allowance under Part III of the Social Security Contribution and Benefits Act 1992

• Income support, council tax benefit and housing benefit under Part VII of the Social Security Contribution and Benefits Act 1992

• Income based jobseeker's allowance under the Jobseekers Act 1995

• Universal Credit under Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 or Personal Independence Payment under Part 4 of that Act

• Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment or any domestic rate relief under the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015
• council tax reduction under a council tax reduction scheme made under section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992

The full definition of public funds is set out at paragraph 6.1 of the Immigration Rules which is available here.

Employment Whilst on the UK Ancestry Visa

You can take on any type of employment or self-employment, such as through setting up your own business, under the UK Ancestry visa. There are no restrictions on whether the work is on a full-time basis or part-time, paid or unpaid.

Once granted entry clearance or permission to stay, there is no need to obtain further permission from the Home Office to work. Such work does not have to be with a sponsor for licensed Worker or Temporary Worker visas.

Studying in the UK Whilst on the Ancestry Visa

Under the...