Long Residence ILR

The long residence route allows people who have lived in the UK lawfully for a long, unbroken period to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, regardless of which visas they held along the way. It is often relevant to people who have moved between several routes, for example from study to work to another category, none of which led to settlement on its own.

The rules on what counts towards the qualifying period are detailed and strictly applied, so a careful review of your history is essential before you apply.

Who may be eligible

You may qualify if you have 10 years' continuous lawful residence in the UK. You will usually also need to have held your current permission for at least one year, pass the Life in the UK test and meet the English language requirement.

What counts towards the 10 years

• Time spent in the UK with permission, on most routes.
• Time on section 3C leave, where your permission was extended while an in-time application, appeal or administrative review was pending.
• Time exempt from immigration control.
• Time exercising EEA treaty rights before 31 December 2020.
• Time as a British citizen.

What does not count

• Time as a visitor, as a short-term student studying English, as a seasonal worker or under the Ukraine schemes.
• Time on immigration bail (or the former temporary admission or release).
• Time in prison or a secure hospital.
• Any period of overstaying, even where it is disregarded (see below).

Gaps in lawful residence

A short period without permission does not always break continuous residence. Under the suitability rules, overstaying may be disregarded where the application was made:

• Within 14 days of permission expiring, where there was a good reason beyond the control of the applicant or their representative for applying late.
• Within 14 days of the refusal of an in-time application, or of the end of section 3C leave, an administrative review or an appeal.

Some other specific disregards exist, for example for certain periods during the Covid-19 pandemic. A disregarded gap will not break continuous residence, but it does not count towards the 10 years either. Whether a particular gap can be disregarded depends on the facts, so it should be checked before you apply.

Absences from the UK

The current rule is that you must not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month period. For absences before 11 April 2024, transitional rules apply: continuous residence was broken by an absence of more than 184 days at one time, or more than 548 days in total over the ten years. Limited exceptions apply to both rules, for example for travel disruption or compelling personal circumstances.

Life in the UK and English

You will usually need to pass the Life in the UK test and show English speaking and listening at B1 level, unless an exemption applies. For applications made from 26 March 2027, the English requirement for long residence rises to B2. If you cannot yet meet these requirements, you may be able to apply for two years' permission to stay on the long residence route instead, and apply for settlement later.

Home Office fees

The Home Office fee is currently £3,226 for an ILR application, or £1,407 for two years' permission to stay on the route. You should not travel outside the Common Travel Area while the application is pending, as this will usually lead to it being treated as withdrawn.

Proposed changes

The government's earned settlement consultation, published in November 2025, proposed that there would no longer be a separate long residence route. This is a proposal only. At the time of writing no consultation outcome has been published, no rules have been laid to close the route and no transitional arrangements have been announced. The long residence rules described on this page remain in force.

Common problems we help with

• Establishing exactly when your ten years started and whether it has been continuous.
• Late applications, refusals and gaps between visas.
• Calculating absences under the old and new rules.
• Time on routes that do not count, such as visitor periods.
• Suitability issues arising from your immigration history.

How Stonebridge can help

We build a full chronology of your residence from your passports, grant letters and travel records, identify any gaps or excluded periods and advise whether they can be disregarded. We then prepare and submit the application with clear representations and supporting evidence, and correspond with the Home Office for you. If you do not yet qualify, we can advise on extending your permission or on other settlement routes that may suit you better.

If you think you may be approaching ten years in the UK, book a consultation so we can check your history before you apply.