End of Ancestral Visa

A new points-based immigration system could end the door-opening power of the ancestral visa. Many New Zealanders and other Commonwealth citizens have relied on having British grandparents to allow them to settle in the EU. Under the old system, Commonwealth citizens who have proof of a grandparent’s birth in Britain can gain entry to the country if they are prepared to work without relying on the State and after four years of doing so they can apply for permanent residency. The new hardline policy comes as a result of the May 2005 election campaigning of both Tony Blair’s Labour Party and the Conservatives for a tougher approach to immigration and asylum.