ILR via Long Residence (10-Year Route): Evidence, Absences & Common Pitfalls

Applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) on the 10-year long residence route means proving continuous, lawful residence in the UK for a full decade and meeting the other settlement requirements (e.g. English and Life in the UK). Build a clean timeline, count your absences correctly, and put together evidence that covers what caseworkers check.

What Counts as "long Residence" in Practice?

The route is set out in Appendix Long Residence of the Immigration Rules and the continuity rules in Appendix Continuous Residence.

• 10 years continuous, lawful residence: the whole qualifying period must be spent in the UK with permission (leave). Most visa categories, or a combination of them, can count.
• Time that does not count: time as a Visitor, on a Short-term Student (English language) visa, as a Seasonal Worker or under the Ukraine schemes; time on immigration bail or temporary admission; and time in prison or a secure hospital.
• Overstaying: any period after your permission ran out does not count towards the 10 years. A short gap between two grants of permission may be disregarded so that it does not break continuity, but the days in the gap still do not count as qualifying time.
• Absences: for periods from 11 April 2024 you must not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month period. For periods before 11 April 2024, the older limits apply: no single absence of more than 184 days and no more than 548 days in total over the 10 years.
• Current permission: you will usually need to have held your current permission for at least 12 months when you apply (unless it was granted before 11 April 2024).

If you have a mixed immigration history, get your timeline checked against the current rules before applying.

Step 1: Build A Precise 10-Year Timeline

Put your UK residence and travel history in one spreadsheet:

• Rows for every grant of permission: visa type, start and end dates, BRP/permit numbers.
• Rows for every absence: date out, date back, destination, reason, and total days away.
• Rolling 12-month check: add a column that flags any 12-month window where absences approach or exceed limits.

If dates are unclear, submit a Subject Access Request (SAR) to the Home Office for your movement history and check old passports for entry/exit stamps.

Step 2: Calculate Absences The Way Caseworkers Do

• Use the rolling 12-month method rather than calendar-year totals.
• Count only whole days outside the UK. Do not count the day you leave or the day you return as days of absence.
• Keep records for each trip: boarding passes, tickets, email bookings, employer letters (if work travel).
• Some absences can be disregarded, for example where you could not travel because of a natural disaster, conflict or pandemic, or forcompelling and compassionate reasons such as the life-threatening illness of a close family member. Prepare supporting evidence and an explanation.

Step 3: Prove Lawful Residence for The Whole Period

Caseworkers check that you had valid permission throughout the 10-year period and that you made each extension or switch in time.

• Visas/BRPs/eVisas: copies of all cards, vignettes and grant letters, plus reference numbers.
• Application receipts: acknowledgements and evidence you applied before your leave expired when you extended or switched.
• Any gaps: explain them. Where an out-of-time application is disregarded under the exceptions for overstayers, the gap may not break continuity, but it does not count as lawful time. If in doubt, get advice.

Step 4: Get The Mandatory Tests in Place

• Life in the UK Test pass (required if you are aged 18 to 64; book early).
• English language at level B1 in speaking and listening, through an approved test or a degree taught or researched in English, unless you are exempt (for example aged 65 or over). The rules already provide for this to rise to B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027.
• If you have not yet met the English or Life in the UK requirement, the Home Office may grant further permission instead of settlement.
• Good character & suitability: disclose criminal history, HMRC issues, civil judgments, or immigration fines with context and evidence if applicable.

Evidence Bundle: What to Include

• Identity & immigration: passports (current & old), BRPs/eVisa printouts, all grant letters.
• Residence continuity: HMRC records, employer letters, P60s/P45s, payslips, tenancy agreements, council tax, utility bills, GP/school letters (spread across the 10 years).
• Absence proof: travel bookings, boarding passes, employer confirmation for business trips; medical/compassionate evidence where relevant.
• Timeline spreadsheet: attach as a clear schedule of residence and absences.

Seven Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)

1. Miscounting absences: not using the rolling 12-month method, or missing short trips.
2. Assuming all visas count:visitor, short-term English language study, Seasonal Worker and Ukraine scheme time don't count towards long residence. Check before applying.
3. Unexplained gaps: even brief periods without permission can break your continuous residence. Explain and evidence each one.
4. Patchy evidence: long gaps in bills/tenancy/HMRC records raise questions. Spread documents across the full period.
5. Leaving English/Life in the UK too late: test slots fill up, so book early to avoid a missing certificate delaying your application.
6. Using the wrong form/category: long residence ILR is a separate route with different rules from 5-year work or family settlement.
7. Assuming "near enough" is fine: if you are close on absences or have complex history, get a pre-submission review.

Timing & Strategy

• When to apply: plan backwards from the date you reach 10 years. Make sure you still meet the absence rule up to the date of decision, and do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while the application is pending.
• Fees and timing: the ILR fee is £3,226 per person (from 8 April 2026). There is no fee for giving your fingerprints and photo. The Home Office usually decides within 6 months of your biometrics appointment; the super priority service costs an extra £1,000.
• Earned settlement proposals:the government consulted in late 2025 on an "earned settlement" model that would change qualifying periods for settlement. At the time of writing these proposals are not in force, so the rules described here still apply. Check for changes before you apply.
• After ILR: keep your UKVI account/eVisa updated. ILR is now issued as an eVisa, so link any new passport to your UKVI account.