Ancestral Visa

* I am a United States and a Canadian citizen.
* my father is British
* I qualify for an Ancestral Visa (i.e. I do not need a work permit).  I don't think I qualify for a "right to abode".

I do consulting (engineering) through my own one person United States corporation.  I am interested in possibly doing some consulting in England for perhaps six months or so. (kind of like a working vacation).

Some of the immediate issues I see with my plan are:

* The visa application asks for my citizenship and passport number.  I assume I will need to supply my Canadian passport number and the visa will be "attached" to my Canadian passport.  But, I must use my United States passport to leave the United States and I guess I would have to use the same passport when I enter Britain... but the visa is not "attached" to my United States passport.

* The application asks for my current employer, but  I have not been an employee for quite a while.  I intend to "work" in England, but I do not intend to seek employment.  (Ideally I would like to be paid through my United States Corporation... I know it isn't quite that simple.)  Any issues with going to Britain on an Ancestral visa for self-employment?

* How long does the application for an Ancestral Visa take?

I have lived and worked in two countries in the same year before (United States and Canada), so I have some idea of some of the issues involved.

* my father is British

Is your father British by descent or British 'other than by descent'?  In other words, do YOU qualify for British citizenship in your own right?

But, I must use my United States passport to leave the United States and I guess I would have to use the same passport when I enter Britain... but the visa is not "attached" to my United States passport.

While it's true that as a US citizen, you will leave the US on your American passport, you do not need to enter the UK on your American passport.  I'm a dual US/UK citizen, and I leave the US on my American passort and enter the UK on my British passport.

Don't know the answers to the rest of your questions.  Good luck!

* I am a United States and a Canadian citizen.
* my father is British
* I qualify for an Ancestral Visa (i.e. I do not need a work permit).  I don't think I qualify for a "right to abode".

I do consulting (engineering) through my own one person United States corporation.  I am interested in possibly doing some consulting in England for perhaps six months or so. (kind of like a working vacation).

Some of the immediate issues I see with my plan are:

* The visa application asks for my citizenship and passport number.  I assume I will need to supply my Canadian passport number and the visa will be "attached" to my Canadian passport.  But, I must use my United States passport to leave the United States and I guess I would have to use the same passport when I enter Britain... but the visa is not "attached" to my United States passport.

* The application asks for my current employer, but  I have not been an employee for quite a while.  I intend to "work" in England, but I do not intend to seek employment.  (Ideally I would like to be paid through my United States Corporation... I know it isn't quite that simple.)  Any issues with going to Britain on an Ancestral visa for self-employment?

* How long does the application for an Ancestral Visa take?

I have lived and worked in two countries in the same year before (United States and Canada), so I have some idea of some of the issues involved.

I'm here on an ancestry visa.  You send your application to the British high commission in Ottawa.  For us, we were living there at the time so we did it in person.  It took 45 minutes.  If you send it in, I think it takes about two weeks. 

Be sure you have 3 months of bank statements and a current bank balance.  You don't have to have a job, but you have to show that you have intent to work. I think it's more important that you show you have some money in the bank so-to-speak.   I don't know about self-employment, Victoria can probably answer that one. 

Really, the visa was quite simple - much simpler than our permits for the US.  But I agree with Crabbit.expat, why not apply for citizenship?

If you are living in the US you can apply through the nearest consulate there, you don't have to apply in Canada.

Self employment on an ancestry is fine. Being paid through a US limited company gets more complex, as you don't want to have tax evasion issues, but you should post a question in the tax section of this board to get that clarified for you.

Vicky