Those who have spent a continuous period of 10 years in the UK under different visas may be eligible to apply for ILR under the ‘Long residence’ route. Time under visas which do not lead to settlement under the standard 5 year route (such as Student/ Tier 4, Graduate etc.) can be counted towards 10 year ILR.
Points to note:
- Applicants normally will need to have spent 12 months under their current visa before they can apply for 'long residence' ILR. This requirement was introduced on 11 April 2024.
- The ‘continuous residence’ limit on absences from the UK changed on 11 April 2024:
- The absences limit for periods spent in the UK after 11 April 2024 is the same requirement as the standard ILR route - no more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12 month period.
- The original absences limit - no more than 548 days outside the UK in total, with no single absence longer than 184 days outside the UK, still applies to time spent in the UK before 11 April 2024.
- Periods spent outside the UK between visas can be accepted as long as the applicant held a valid visa when they left and when they returned. These periods are also counted towards the limit on absences.
More information on applying for ‘Long residence’ ILR is found in Home Office guidance.
