Australian relative coming to the UK

[tmutton]

Hi all,

My name is Tom, I'm from the UK. My Australian cousin is coming to the UK next Wednesday. He is hoping to stay for 1 year but is going to enter the UK only on a holiday visa at the moment. Through his grandfather who was born here in the UK, we are hoping to get him an ANCESTRAL visa but the problem is time. I need to order his grandfathers birth cert. and even if I fasttrack that it will take 2-3 days. I understand that once in the UK he can't then switch visas from a holiday to an ancestral. I also understand that there is a youth mobility scheme based on a points system which would enable him 1-2 years here but working part time only?

Given the amount of time he has left before he arrives in the UK can anyone give advice on the best procedure here? Is there any way we can get him into the UK to stay longer than 6 months? What are our options given the amount of time we have left? We have 6 days.

Let's say he comes to the UK on a holiday visa and his ancestry visa gets approved whilst he's here, would he then have to leave the UK and return? If so, how long would he have to stay away for? Can he go out of the UK before his 6 months are up and return again and then the 6 months is reset? I'm not very aware of the rules/regs with immigration.

Any help will be appreciated

Thanks!

[Lucapooka]

He can't switch his status inside the UK. If he is eligible for Ancestry (and I have not read your post to say if he is) he would have to apply for this in Australia. He can apply immediately and return when granted.

Another consideration is Tier 5 YMS but there are annual limits.

[ID29]

Hi Tom

I'm afraid your cousin won't be able to stay in the UK for longer than 6 months on a Visitor Visa. Nor will he be able to reset his visitor visa by simply leaving/re-entering the country. Also be aware that if the Border Agency suspect he is coming here for any reason other than as a visitor he may be refused entry at the airport.

He will, unfortunately, need to apply for an ancestry visa from Australia.

You will find more advice here: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... -ancestry/

My suggestion is he comes here to visit, see what family he might have here and decide whether a life in the UK is really what he wants. Then return home and apply for the most suitable visa to enable him to return to the UK to live/work.

I'm unsure what other options may or may not be available but I suspect 6 days is just too short a time to obtain entry clearance, other than a visitor visa on arrival.

John

[tmutton]

Hi John, thanks for your reply there.

I thought that might be the outcome but hoped if I got his grandfathers birth cert. delivered here, scanned and sent over via email he could then do the ancestry visa application but even then we're looking at possible weeks to get that through. I don't know of time scales.

So from what I understand is any visa he is applying for needs to be accepted whilst he is in Australia to be allowed in to the UK on that particular visa. That makes sense.

Let's say his ancestry visa gets accepted 2 weeks after he arrives in the UK on a visitor visa. What does he then have to do to enter the UK on that newly accepted visa? Could he leave the UK for another country in Europe, then come back with the newly recieved ancestry visa? Or would he have to return home to Australia and then come back and enter the UK with it?

And to answer the guy above. He is eligible for an ancestral visa.

Thanks

[Greenie]

Hi John, thanks for your reply there.

I thought that might be the outcome but hoped if I got his grandfathers birth cert. delivered here, scanned and sent over via email he could then do the ancestry visa application but even then we're looking at possible weeks to get that through. I don't know of time scales.

So from what I understand is any visa he is applying for needs to be accepted whilst he is in Australia to be allowed in to the UK on that particular visa. That makes sense.

Let's say his ancestry visa gets accepted 2 weeks after he arrives in the UK on a visitor visa. What does he then have to do to enter the UK on that newly accepted visa? Could he leave the UK for another country in Europe, then come back with the newly recieved ancestry visa? Or would he have to return home to Australia and then come back and enter the UK with it?

And to answer the guy above. He is eligible for an ancestral visa.

Thanks

when he makes the ancestry applicaiton in Australia he will need to submit his passport, so he won't then be able to travel as a visitor.

[tmutton]

So basically if he surrenders his passport for the ancestry visa process whilst in Australia he won't be able to leave Australia or enter any country because he won't have a passport. I didn't think of that. Thanks

[tmutton]

So basically if he surrenders his passport for the ancestry visa process whilst in Australia he won't be able to leave Australia or enter any country because he won't have a passport. I didn't think of that. Thanks

[ID29]

So basically if he surrenders his passport for the ancestry visa process whilst in Australia he won't be able to leave Australia or enter any country because he won't have a passport. I didn't think of that. Thanks

Which is why, based on the assumption he has a flight booked, I suggested that he comes for a visit this time. It's possible he might decide the UK isn't for him?

Obviously I don't know about his finances etc or whether he can reschedule his flight but he might decide instead to stay put and apply for the ancestry visa now.