To UKM or not?
Many people, when they learn of their potential eligibility for a passport via the UKM route, immediately make the decision to go this route. But, all is not as it seems an every option MUST be thoroughly researched yourself, before deciding what does and doesn't suit your circumstances.
The UKM is the form used to apply to register as a British citizen if you were born before 1983 to a British mother.
You can only apply if you would automatically have become a British citizen on 1 January 1983 if women were able to pass citizenship on to their children at the time of your birth.
Before you even consider this route, click this link to find the UKM Guide December 2015, the official guide from UK.gov to ensure that you meet the criteria.
Once you've established your eligibility, it would be safe to consider the Ancestral visa route as an option, assuming that your British mother had parents also born in the UK. Follow this link to read about the Ancestral visa option.
Now let's consider the costs for both options, just as an indicator of the differences between the two. Please note: this is not advise, merely a calculation to highlight the differences, you will need to make your own decision following professional advice. The requirements of each route will be covered separately, this post focuses on costs only and are a rough estimate based on the fees released in April 2017.
Let's use the model of a family of four for the purpose of this calculation:
To start, for this family of four to move on 5 year ancestral, the costs are:
Application fee: £496
NHS surcharge: £1,000
TB certificate: ZAR 1,650
Costs above are per person
Passport and dependant route will cost:
UKM passport fee: £80
Dependant visa application fee: £1,464
Priority fee (optional): £551
NHS surcharge: £600
TB certificate: ZAR 1,650
English test: ZAR 2,650
The above is x 3 and only valid for 2,5 years, thereafter renewable but only visa and NHS fee apply second time around.
Using 18-1 as the exchange rate, the ZAR value is :
Ancestral x 4 ZAR 114,312
Passport route plus x 3 dependants ZAR 150,610 with another ZAR 141,210 after 2,5 years excluding increases
As you can see, this is a decision not to be taken lightly, especially as the costs of applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain are also high and need to be budgeted for.
Consider your options and your personal circumstances, seek advice and don't make any rash decisions until you are quite comfortable with the pros and cons of each option.
The UKM is the form used to apply to register as a British citizen if you were born before 1983 to a British mother.
You can only apply if you would automatically have become a British citizen on 1 January 1983 if women were able to pass citizenship on to their children at the time of your birth.
Before you even consider this route, click this link to find the UKM Guide December 2015, the official guide from UK.gov to ensure that you meet the criteria.
Once you've established your eligibility, it would be safe to consider the Ancestral visa route as an option, assuming that your British mother had parents also born in the UK. Follow this link to read about the Ancestral visa option.
Now let's consider the costs for both options, just as an indicator of the differences between the two. Please note: this is not advise, merely a calculation to highlight the differences, you will need to make your own decision following professional advice. The requirements of each route will be covered separately, this post focuses on costs only and are a rough estimate based on the fees released in April 2017.
Let's use the model of a family of four for the purpose of this calculation:
To start, for this family of four to move on 5 year ancestral, the costs are:
Application fee: £496
NHS surcharge: £1,000
TB certificate: ZAR 1,650
Costs above are per person
Passport and dependant route will cost:
UKM passport fee: £80
Dependant visa application fee: £1,464
Priority fee (optional): £551
NHS surcharge: £600
TB certificate: ZAR 1,650
English test: ZAR 2,650
The above is x 3 and only valid for 2,5 years, thereafter renewable but only visa and NHS fee apply second time around.
Using 18-1 as the exchange rate, the ZAR value is :
Ancestral x 4 ZAR 114,312
Passport route plus x 3 dependants ZAR 150,610 with another ZAR 141,210 after 2,5 years excluding increases
As you can see, this is a decision not to be taken lightly, especially as the costs of applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain are also high and need to be budgeted for.
Consider your options and your personal circumstances, seek advice and don't make any rash decisions until you are quite comfortable with the pros and cons of each option.
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