I hope this is the right place for this, as the title suggests, I’m looking into moving to and living in the UK as I have family there.
What makes my situation potentially unique is that I believe I have a legitimate claim to British citizenship. Some background:
• Father was born in the UK before 1983 to British parents
• Father moved to South Africa when he was very young, approx 11 but never obtained a British passport (not sure if this matters)
• I was born (through wedlock) in South Africa in 1969 and I’m currently a South African citizen
Based on the above I received a free British Passport Review that indicated that I have a claim for British Nationality.
My question is:
What is the best (most affordable) route to go about moving to the UK to live and work there? Affordability is quite important as I am paying in rands which are quite weak compared to pound sterling.
Based on the research I have done it appears my options are:
1) Apply for a British Passport.
Will I be granted citizenship through this process? Or do I have to apply to register as a British citizen before I can apply?
According to my research, I may have to take an interview and will need to submit my parents birth certificates showing both mine and their details as well as their marriage license. Will my unabridged birth certificate showing their details and their normal birth certificates suffice?
2) Apply for an Ancestry Visa. It’s not clear from the website if this would allow me to travel but it would allow me to work in the UK for up to 5 years. After the 5 years what would my options be?
Thank you all for taking the time to read my story and offer advice, I appreciate it greatly.
