UK visas for Australian, Canadian and New Zealand citizens
Last verified 5 September 2026 against GOV.UK sources·Page updated 5 September 2026
| Visiting the UK | Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) — no visitor visa needed for short visits |
|---|---|
| TB test | Not required for people who have been living in Australia, Canada or New Zealand; it applies only if you have lived in a listed country for 6 months or more in the last 6 months |
| English requirement | Met by nationality — Australian, Canadian and New Zealand citizens do not need to sit a test |
| ATAS certificate (sensitive subjects) | Exempt by nationality |
| Youth mobility | Youth Mobility Scheme — ages 18 to 35 |
| UK Ancestry visa | Possible as a Commonwealth citizen if a grandparent was born in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man |
| Dual nationality | Australia, Canada and New Zealand all permit dual nationality; acquiring British citizenship does not affect your existing citizenship |
Citizens of Australia, Canada and New Zealand share several UK immigration advantages: ETA travel, the English requirement met by nationality, no TB test or ATAS certificate, the 18–35 Youth Mobility rules, and potential access to the UK Ancestry visa for those with a British-born grandparent. This page covers those differences; the routes themselves are described in the guides.
Visiting the UK
Citizens of all three countries do not need a visa to visit, but need an Electronic Travel Authorisation before travelling. The ETA costs £20, is applied for online or through the UKVI app, and is valid for multiple visits over two years or until the passport expires. Each visit can last up to six months and cannot include work. No transit visa is needed for changing planes.
The Youth Mobility Scheme
The Youth Mobility Scheme is open to citizens of all three countries, with terms that differ from most participating nationalities: the age range is 18 to 35 rather than 18 to 30, and the scheme allows up to three years in the UK — a two-year grant that Australian, Canadian and New Zealand citizens can apply to extend by a further year. There is no sponsor, no job offer and no ballot for these nationalities; you apply directly, show the required savings, and can work in almost any job, study, or be self-employed within limits. Dependants cannot come on this route and the time does not count towards settlement, but many people use it to find a job that qualifies for Skilled Worker and switch from inside the UK.
The UK Ancestry visa
As Commonwealth citizens, Australians, Canadians and New Zealanders can apply for the UK Ancestry visa if a grandparent was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man (or in Ireland before 31 March 1922). The route gives five years of unrestricted work with no sponsor and no salary threshold, allows dependants, and leads to ILR after five years with no salary test at settlement. Compared with Skilled Worker, UK Ancestry offers much greater work flexibility because it does not require employer sponsorship or a salary threshold; the work is in proving the chain of descent with birth and marriage certificates. See the Skilled Worker vs Ancestry comparison.
Working in the UK on other routes
Skilled Worker applies on the same terms as for everyone else. Global Talent is used by academics, engineers and creatives with a strong record. Recent graduates of top-ranked universities in the three countries may qualify for the High Potential Individual route.
Joining family in the UK
Couples use the partner visa, with the £29,000 minimum income requirement, where applicable, and the English requirement met by nationality. Couples who want to marry in the UK first use the fiancé(e) visa; see the partner vs fiancé(e) comparison.
What citizens of the three countries do not need
English test. Australia, Canada and New Zealand are majority-English-speaking countries for immigration purposes. Their citizens meet the English requirement by nationality on every route, including settlement and citizenship.
TB test. None of the three is on the tuberculosis test list. The requirement is based on residence, so it can still apply to someone who has recently lived in a listed country.
ATAS. Nationals of all three countries are exempt from the Academic Technology Approval Scheme.
Applying from home. Applications are submitted online and completed at a visa application centre, where biometrics are taken; some applicants can use the UKVI app instead. Faster-decision services — priority or super priority — are offered for some routes and locations at an extra charge; the application process shows you what is available. If the application succeeds, the permission is issued as an eVisa held in a UKVI account. Passport vignettes have not been issued since 1 July 2026; where a travel document is needed, some applicants get a form for accompanying an eVisa (FAV) instead.
Routes to settlement
UK Ancestry, Skilled Worker and the partner route lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years under current rules; Global Talent after three or five. Youth Mobility and HPI time does not count towards those periods, though it counts towards the ten-year Long Residence route. A common path is Youth Mobility, then Skilled Worker or Ancestry, then ILR.
All three countries permit dual nationality, so naturalising as British does not affect your existing citizenship. See the ILR vs citizenship comparison.
Common questions
Do Australians need a visa to visit the UK? No visa, but an ETA before travelling. The same applies to Canadians and New Zealanders.
Can I do the Youth Mobility Scheme at 33? Yes. For these three nationalities the age limit is 35.
My grandmother was born in Scotland. Do I qualify for Ancestry? That can satisfy the ancestry requirement if you can prove the line of descent — Scotland is part of the UK for this purpose. You must also meet the route’s other eligibility requirements.
Does Youth Mobility time count towards ILR? Not towards the five-year routes. It counts only towards ten-year Long Residence.
The route guides
- British citizenship by naturalisation From ILR to a British passport: residence and absence limits, the good character test, £1,839 in fees — and what to check about your own nationality law first.
- Settlement: Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) Permanent residence in the UK: the 5-year routes, absence rules, the £3,226 fee, English rising to B2 in 2027 and the earned settlement proposal.
- Spouse and partner visa Joining a British citizen or settled partner: the £29,000 financial requirement, English tests, the 5-year route to ILR and unmarried partners.
- UK Ancestry visa Five years of unrestricted UK work rights for Commonwealth citizens with a UK-born grandparent — no sponsor, and a route to settlement.
- Skilled Worker visa Sponsorship, the £41,700 salary threshold, degree-level job requirement, B2 English and the path to settlement — the UK's main work visa explained.
- Youth Mobility Scheme visa A working-holiday visa for 18–30s (some countries to 35) from partner countries: two years of unrestricted work, no sponsor, £340.