How to move to the UK from South Africa: Step by step guide
The UK remains a top destination for South Africans to move to. Choosing the correct visa for your individual circumstances is crucial to giving your application the highest likelihood to succeed.
Contact our team today for tailored advice on 0333 305 9375. We can provide advice remotely both online and over the phone at a time to suit you.
Whatever reasons you have for moving from South Africa to the UK, it can be an exciting but stressful time. To help you navigate your overseas move more easily, check out the steps below.
Ensure your South African passport is valid
And if you don’t have one, apply! Without a valid passport, the UK government cannot issue you with your visa and you cannot travel. It is important to ensure your passport is in date and you allow enough time, probably a few months, for your passport to arrive.
Budget for your costs
Every visa route incurs costs just to make the application, translate your documents if necessary, pay for the health surcharge and of course the travel expenses on top. That’s before you’ve even moved! With most visa options, such as the Skilled Worker visa or Spouse visa, you’ll need to prove a certain level of savings and money to properly support yourself. Therefore before you apply, it’s a really good idea to get your finances in order.
Researching the cost of living too, as it can vary widely depending on the area of the UK you move to, can also be really helpful. It’s also really important to have a place to live organised before you move with adequate space, and the Home Office will ask for proof.
Find out which visas you qualify for
Before going any further through the process, it’s absolutely essential that you properly research which visa categories you could potentially apply for.
UK Ancestry Visa
As a South African national, the Ancestry visa route is one route available to you due to also being a part of the Commonwealth. The other general eligibility criteria is as follows:
- Be 17 years of age or older
- Have at least one grandparents born in the UK, the Islands, Ireland (if before 31 March 1922)
- Able to work
- Support yourself without state support, or recourse to public funds
Your grandparent can be biological but this also applies to those who have been adopted, if the adoption was legally recognised. This applies when you, the applicant, has been adopted by aa parent who’s own parent was born in the UK or if your parent was adopted by someone born in the UK.
Ancestry visa evidence
The Ancestry visa is unlike other routes, such as the Skilled Worker visa, as you do not need a job offer in the UK to apply. All you need to show is that you are “able o work” and intend to look for work once inside the country. Under this visa, you can be employed as well as self-employed and also volunteer, but you must be able to support yourself if you are not earning an income. There is no income or money requirement to meet, but it’s a really good idea to have evidence of:
- Savings
- Adequate accommodation that you own or can legally rent with enough rooms and space for all occupants
- Bank statements
- Tenancy or mortgage agreement
The most important thing to mention is that this visa route, while being thought of as a relatively “easy” route, almost totally relies on having valid water-tight document evidence. This is especially important as you must prove not only your identity, but your Commonwealth citizenship through your passport and of course your claim to ancestry. Providing birth certifiates for yourself, your parents and your grandparent, and adoption papers if required. You can request copies of birth certificates from the relevant UK national authority, depending on the nation in which your ancestor was born.
How long can I stay in the UK on an Ancestry visa?
If your visa application is approved, you will be able to stay in the UK for five years. After this time, you and any dependants and family members you brought with you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain at the same time.
If you do not meet all of the requirements after five years has passed, you can apply to extend your Ancestry visa for another five years and apply for ILR again as soon as you do become eligible.
Skilled Worker visa
Another more common visa route to apply to come to the UK is the Skilled Worker visa under the new points based system. With this visa, you are granted up to five years of leave to work in the UJK.
To apply, you must score a total of 70 points, 50 of which come from having a job offer at the correct skill level, from a registered institution or company that is legally able to “sponsor” you and at the required salary level of £41,700. If the salary offered is lower, but no less than £41,700, you may be able to still apply if you have:
- Been offered a job on the shortage occupation list (jobs with not enough British workers to do them)
- A PhD in a relevant field
- Other high level qualifications in your field
Skilled Worker visa eligibility requirements
There are numerous other detailed eligibility requirements. It is recommended before applying that you consult immigration advice to ensure you are able to meet all of the required elements to give your application the highest chance of success. These can include:
- Accommodation and maintenance requirement – have a place to live with adequate space and no need to access government support while in the UK
- Personal savings to support yourself
- No immigration or criminal convictions
- English language skills to a minimum of B1 level
- Proof of your travel and immigration history over the last five years
Whether you are applying for up to or over three years of leave will change the price of your application. For each application made from outside the UK for up to three years, a Skilled Worker visa costs £819. For over three years of leave, it costs £1,618. Applications from inside the UK to switch from another visa are more expensive, at £943 and £1,865 respectively.
How long can I stay in the UK on a Skilled Worker Visa?
After five years, you can extend your visa or apply for settlement or Indefinite Leave to Remain to stay in the UK without any restrictions.
Joining your partner in the UK
If you are not coming to the UK to undertake a specific job role, and you are the fiancé or married partner of a British citizen or settled person, you may be eligible to apply for a Spouse or partner visa.
Spouse visas are notoriously hard to get, as you must prove to the Home Office you are in a subsisting and “genuine” relationship for at least two years and have been living together. If you are not yet married, you must show that you intend to get married within six months of entering the UK.
How Immigration Advice Service can help you
It’s incredibly important to choose a reliable immigration lawyer and organisation to support you through the application process. If you are a South African national, you can get support from the IAS remotely if you are outside of the UK, both online and over the phone.
Contact our client care team to set up an appointment on 0333 305 9375.
