UK Residence for Commonwealth Nationals

Commonwealth nationals are citizens of an associate state in the Commonwealth of Nations. Though not all the Commonwealth nationals are permitted to have the right to Abode in the UK, or be qualified to live and work without restrictions.

This UK abode document can be generally given to British nationals when they have to approve their right for enduring residence in the UK. The certificate verifying the right to the house can also be delivered for some Commonwealth nationals and UK passport owners considered as British subjects.

Commonwealth nationals can obtain this residence title only in the resulting cases:

• As a result of a wedding to a male with a right to Abode
  • As earlier 1 January 1983 a female Commonwealth national wedded a man with a right to Abode
  • As she arrived earlier 1 August 1988 into the UK as a married individual to such a man
  • As, she arrived in the UK officially, from the start of their wedding and then she was the only lawful wife of such a man
• Inborn from a parent with a right to Abode in the UK
  • As the applicant has a minimum of one parent that was either born in the UK or was a national of the UK and colonies when the applicant was born or adopted
  • As the applicant on 31 December, 1982 was a Commonwealth national
  • As the applicant continued a Commonwealth national any time after that date

Documents required to apply for this certificate:

• A legal passport or travel document with authorization stamps
• Passport size photographs (two copies)
• For an applicant who on or after 1 January 1983 was listed or accepted as a British national
  • Credential of registering or naturalization
  • For an applicant congenital earlier 1 January 1983 in the UK
  • Full birth documentation with the details of parents
• For an applicant who earlier 1 January 1983 was listed or accepted as a UK and Colonies national in the UK
  • Certificate registering or naturalization
• For an applicant who on 21 May 2002 become a British national and prior to that they were a British Foreign Territories national
  • Passport of British Foreign Territories
  • Birth documentation
  • When born out of a foreign territory:
    • Wedding certificate of parents if applying through the father
    • Parent’s birth certificate
    • Parent’s documentation of registering or naturalization
  • When listed or accepted earlier 21 May 2002 as a British Foreign Territories citizen:
    • Documentation of registering or naturalization
  • When listed or accepted on or after 21 May 2002 as a British Foreign Territories national:
    • Documentation of registering or naturalization and credential of registering as a British national
• For an applicant congenital prior to 1 January 1983 who is a Commonwealth national with a parent born in the UK:
  • Candidate’s birth certificate
  • Parent’s birth certificate
  • Certificate of the wedding if applying through the father
• For a female applicant who is a Commonwealth national wedded prior to 1 January 1983 in the UK to a gentleman with the right of Abode there:
  • Claimant’s marriage certificate
  • Documents to assure that the claimant’s husband had, before 1 January 1983, the Right of Abode
    • The UK birth certificate or passport 
    • Documentation of registering or naturalization
• For an applicant born on or after 1 January in the UK or the Falkland Islands 1983, or on or afterwards 21 May 2002 in additional qualifying British foreign territory:
  • Candidate’s certificate of birth
  • Parent passport as a British national or telling that they at that time had a settlement consent (ILR)
  • If the applicant is congenital earlier 1 July and applies through the father:
    • Parents’ documentation of the wedding
• For an applicant born on or afterwards 1 January 1983 external of the UK and the Falkland Islands, or congenital on or after 21 May 2002 out of the UK and any qualifying British foreign territory, with a parent born in the UK or the Falkland Islands, or congenital on or after 21 May 2002 in any British foreign region with a parent listed or accepted in the UK before they were born:
  • Applicant’s birth certificate
  • When the applicant was born prior to 1 July 2006 and is applying through the father
    • Parent’s documentation of the wedding
  • Parent’s credential of birth
  • Documentation of registering, or naturalization
• For an applicant congenital on or afterwards 1 January 1983, external of the UK and the Falkland Islands, or congenital on or after 21 May 2002 out of the UK and any British foreign territory, with a parent who, when the applicant was born was a British foreign territory national
  • Applicant’s birth certificate
  • When the applicant was born before 1 July 2006 and is applying through the father
    • Parents’ credential of wedding
  • Official Letter from the company to validate that the parent was working when the applicant was born
• For an applicant adopted on or after 1 June 2003, in British foreign territory, or somewhere else
  • Documentation of adoption
  • Passport of the nation they lived when adopted the applicant
• For an applicant who had a UK and Colonies nationality, and who before 1 January 1983 has stayed in the UK for five consecutive years and after that they took the settlement authorization
  • A valid passport of UK and Colonies
  • Documentation of naturalization or registering in the UK and Colonies
  • Document (s) to assure settlement in the UK and for living in the UK before 1 January 1983
    • Legal passport
    • P60s
    • Info about National Insurance contributions
    • DSS entitlements
    • Official Letter of companies
• For an applicant who had a UK and Colonies nationality, whose parent before the candidate was born or adopted was either born, adopted, listed or naturalized in the UK
  • Candidate’s birth certificate
  • Claimant’s documentation of adoption
  • Parents’ documentation of wedding if born before 1 July 2006 and applying through the father
  • Parent’s’ certificate of birth
  • Parent’s’ documentation of adoption
  • Documentation of registering or naturalization
• For an applicant who had a UK and Colonies nationality, whose grandparent before the applicant’s parent was born or adopted, was either born, adopted, listed or accepted in the UK
  • Parents’ documentation of wedding if applying through the father
  • Parent’s birth certificate
  • Documentation of adoption
  • Candidate’s birth certificate
  • Applicant’s documentation of adoption
  • Grandparents’ certificate of the wedding if applying through the grandparent
  • Grandparent’s birth certificate
  • Grandparent’s documentation of adoption
  • Grandparent’s documentation of registering or naturalization

It charges £321 to apply for this certificate from within the UK.

The visa owner can obtain a job, register in educational programs, carry dependent family associates, lengthen the duration of stay, but cannot use public funds and is illegal to move (change) to this visa from another one.

An individual applying for UK Ancestry Visa should be of the following circumstances:

• Should overcome general grounds for rejection
• Should be 17 years old or higher
• Is qualified and aims to work in the UK
• Be a grandchild of individuals who were born either in the UK, in the Republic of Ireland (earlier 31 March 1922), or inside a British-listed ship or aeroplane
• Is the applicant or any of their parents is adopted, a child within a wedding, or out of it

Needed documents to apply for a UK Ancestry Visa are:

• A legal passport or further travel document
• Documents to validate maintenance funds for himself and any dependents for the period of stay in the UK.
• Tuberculosis checkup results (if applicable)
• Certificate of birth
• Wedding certificate
• Papers of adoption (if the applicant or a parent is adopted)
• Papers to assure the right aim to get employed in the UK
• Documents to ensure job proposals
• Business strategy
• Validation of paying the Health Surcharge