Getting That Visa

Obtaining a US Visa and a UK Visa have two things in common. Both processes are mildly stressful and highly confusing. I thought I'd break down what it took for me to get a UK Visa. I'll skip what I binge ate while worrying about the process (Tim Tams and Gaieties), and tell you the important stuff. 

I decided to go for the Ancestry Visa, which is available to those with a parent or grandparent born in the UK. There's other criteria too, which you can find here.

You can apply here a maximum of three months before you plan to arrive. Your application is considered lodged once you pay for it. If applying in Sydney, you pay online before your visa appointment, but other cities you pay at your visa appointment. Don't stress if you accidentally apply early, but scheduled you're appointment for three months ahead of your arrival date. There's a simple process for receiving a refund. I only know this because a friend got confused and applied early. Yes, a friend. It only happened to a friend. 

It was with confident confusion I was able to fill in the application forms. How should I know the total cost of my trip? Does that mean the whole 5 year trip? That's how long the Ancestry Visa lasts. I found this website useful for answering questions about the expected cost of living in England. It might be totally inaccurate, but it helped me get my visa. 

I submitted my application form, paid for my health insurance, and booked and paid for my interview. Then I had to figure out which documents to take. My anxiety ridden, overachieving roots may have caused me to submit too many. Here is the list of documents I provided. 

• The signed and dated application form. 
• My birth certificate
• My father's birth certificate 
• My grandfather's UK birth certificate (obtained from here)
• Bank statements signed and dated by my bank showing at least $4000 worth of savings and steady income
• Flight confirmation
• Hotel confirmation
• University degrees and transcripts
• Previous passports 
• CV
• Registrations on job seeker websites 
• Invoices/pay slips

At the Sydney office documents are scanned in, so it is not necessary to obtain certified copies or worry your original certificates will be lost. And remember when I said it was an interview? Well, it's not really. All that happens is your documents are scanned, your passport is collected to be sent away, and the UK government gets its hands on your biometrics (fingerprints and photo). You can also pay an extra $3 to receive a text message when your passport is ready, which may or may not contain a visa. 

Once all of this is complete you are then free to freak out for the next few weeks about whether your visa will be approved, or if you'll need a return ticket for a short European escape.

I'm now looking ahead to obtaining more official documentation once I arrive in London. Hopefully it is performed with minimal confusion. I need to focus on finding a Royal husband job.