The UK Ancestry Visa entitles Commonwealth countries with grandparents born in the UK, to work for up to five years in the UK with no restrictions.

Applicants must

• Be a Commonwealth citizen (Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa etc)
• Be over the age of 17
• Have a grandparent who was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man or you have a grandparent that was born in what is now the Republic of Ireland prior to 31 March 1922.

If you arrive with a UK Ancestry visa, you will have permission to stay for five years. After five years, you will be able to apply for permanent residency in the UK as long as you continue to meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules for UK Ancestry and you have spent five years in employment in the UK, without any long periods of time spent living outside the UK.

The easiest and quickest way to apply is online at Visa 4 UK

For more information on how to apply, please visit the UK Ancestery Visa Application Guide

The highly skilled worker category is designed to allow highly skilled people to come to the UK to look for work or self-employment opportunities.

Unlike Tier 2, you do not need a job offer or sponsorship to apply under the highly skilled worker category. When you apply you are awarded points based on your qualifications, previous earnings, UK experience, Age, available maintenance funds and English language skills. Certain English speaking countries  are awarded the points for the English language skills automatically.

You must have £2,800 in your account for at least three months before you apply, and be able to send documents that show the money has been there for three months.

If you wish to bring your spouse and/or children with you under the dependency visa, you must show that you have £1600 for you spouse and a further £1600 for each child, in addition to the £2800 required for your own support.

Important!

• To earn points on your current salary, please keep in mind that you can only provide information over a period of 12 consecutive months, in the last 15 months.
• Only Bachelor's, Master's and PhD are accepted under qualifications in order to obtain points.
• When providing bank statements, please ensure to provide all pages that came with the statement and ensure that your name as well as bank details are mentioned.

We recommend using the self-assessment points calculator before applying for this visa. For the calculator please visit UK Border Agency Points Calculator

For more information please visit UK Border Agency General Migrants

Tier 2 (General) is for people coming to the UK with a skilled job offer to fill a gap in the workforce that cannot be filled by a settled worker.

You will only be able to obtain a Tier 2 visa if you have an employer who is willing to offer sponsorship under the Tier 2 visa.

For more information, please visit Tier 2 Visa Application Guide

The youth mobility scheme is for young people from participating countries who would like to come and experience life in the UK.

The countries in the scheme are

• Australia
• Canada
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Monaco

You can apply if you

• Are a citizen of a country taking part in the scheme or a British overseas citizen, British overseas territories citizen or a British national (overseas);
• Are 18 years old or over when your visa becomes valid and under 31 years old when you apply;
• Don't have any children under 18 years old who are either living with you, or you are financially responsible for;
• You haven't visited the United Kingdom at any other time as a working holidaymaker or under the youth mobility scheme.
• Have £1,600 in available maintenance (funds) when you apply.

If you are given permission to stay under the youth mobility scheme, you will be able to live and work in the UK for a maximum time of 24 months.

You can leave and come back to the UK at any time during the validity of your visa.

You can apply online for your visa Visa4UK

For more information please visit Youth Mobility Visa Application Guide

If you are not a British citizen, you may still have the right of abode if, on 31 December 1982, you were a Commonwealth citizen with a parent who, at the time of your birth or legal adoption, was a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies because he/she was born in the United Kingdom; or a female Commonwealth citizen who was, or had been, married to a man who had the right of abode. You must have been married to him before 1 January 1983.

You are eligible to work in the UK if you have a British or EU country passport or have dual citizenship.

If you were born between 7 February 1961 and 31 December 1982 and your mother was born in the United Kingdom, you may be able to register as a British citizen.

If you want to come to the UK as the husband, wife, civil partner, or unmarried or same-sex partner of someone who is not settled in the UK (for example a work permit holder), it is possible to do so.

You must show that

• You are legally married to each other or are in a civil partnership recognised in the UK
• Your husband, wife or civil partner is present and settled in the UK (see the next section)
• You both intend to live together permanently as husband and wife or as civil partners
• You have met each other before
• You can support yourselves and any dependants without any help from public funds
• You have suitable accommodation, which is owned or lived in only by you and your household, and where you and your dependants can live without any help from public funds
• Your husband, wife or civil partner is not under 21, and
• You are not under 21 at the date of arrival in the UK

At first, you will be allowed to stay and work in the UK for two years. Near the end of this time, if you are still married and intend to continue living together, you can apply to stay permanently in the UK.

Unmarried or same-sex partners

You and your unmarried or same-sex partner must show that

• Any previous marriage, civil partnership or similar relationship, has permanently broken down
• You have been living together in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for two years or more
• You have suitable accommodation which is owned or lived in only by you and your household, and where you and your dependants can live without any help from public funds
• You can support yourselves and any dependants without any help from public funds
• You intend to live together permanently
• Your partner is not under 21, and
• You are not under 21 at the date of arrival in the UK.

The Entry Clearance Officer will need to see evidence of a two-year relationship. This may include

• Documents showing joint commitments, such as bank accounts, investments, rent agreements or mortgages, and
• Letters linking you to the same address, and official records (such as a gas or electricity bill or proof of your rent or mortgage arrangements) of your address.

At first, you will be allowed to stay and work in the UK for two years. Near the end of this time, if you are still partners and intend to continue living together, you can apply to stay permanently in the UK.