Quick answer
Most people can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after 5 years on their route: 3 years for Innovator Founder and some Global Talent holders, 10 years for long residence. On most routes you can apply up to 28 days before your qualifying period ends, if you spent at most 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months.
On this page
Work out your ILR date
The calculator needs JavaScript. You can still use the qualifying periods table below, or ask us to work out your dates.
Your result
| Qualifying period ends | |
|---|---|
| Earliest date to apply | |
| Days to go | |
| Most days outside the UK in any 12 months |
Planned changes. The government has proposed “earned settlement”, which would make 10 years the usual qualifying period for ILR. As of 12 October 2026 it is not in force and no start date has been published, but the government says it intends to apply it to people already in the UK. If you are close to your date, check your dates with us.
Next step: a solicitor can check your visa history and travel dates before you apply.
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What else you need for ILR
- The Life in the UK test. Most applicants aged 18 to 64 must pass it. It costs £50.
- English. Speaking and listening at level B1 on most routes now. For applications made on or after 26 March 2027 the level rises to B2. Some people are exempt, for example because of age or a medical condition: ask us.
- Skilled Worker salary. When you apply for ILR you must meet a salary requirement: at least £41,700, or the going rate for your job if that is higher (some exceptions apply). Ask us which applies to you.
- The Home Office fee. £3,226 for an ILR application (Home Office fee table, checked 12 October 2026). Our own fee is separate.
Planned changes. The government has proposed “earned settlement”: 10 years as the usual qualifying period for ILR, with shorter periods for some people. It consulted on this between November 2025 and February 2026. As of 12 October 2026 the changes are not in force and no start date or transition rules have been published. The government has said it intends to apply them to people already in the UK. If you are close to qualifying, check your dates with us.
How we work it out
Qualifying periods
These are the qualifying periods in the Immigration Rules as of 12 October 2026:
| Skilled Worker | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Partner on a family visa | 5 years, or 10 years on the 10-year partner route |
| Innovator Founder, and some Global Talent holders | 3 years (5 years for some Global Talent categories) |
| UK Ancestry | 5 years |
| British National (Overseas) | 5 years |
| Long residence | 10 years’ continuous lawful residence, which can combine different visas |
We add those years to the date your qualifying time started. If that date is 29 February, we use 1 March in a year that is not a leap year, the later of the two possible dates.
Applying early
On most routes you can apply up to 28 days before your qualifying period ends (Appendix Continuous Residence, CR 1.1(b)), so the calculator gives that date. The partner route has its own rules in Appendix FM, so for partners the calculator gives the end of the qualifying period and asks you to check the early window with us.
Counting days outside the UK
On most routes you must not spend more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period (CR 3.1). We count whole days only: the day you left and the day you came back are not counted, as in the Home Office guidance. We then check every rolling 12-month period inside your qualifying time, not just calendar years, and show the one with the most days. Partner routes have their own rules on time abroad, so for partners the calculator shows your days outside the UK without a verdict: ask us to check.
Long residence: absences that began before 11 April 2024 fall under the older limits of 548 days in total and 184 days for any single absence. The calculator applies the 180-day rule to every trip and flags any trip that began before 11 April 2024 for us to check.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Indefinite leave to remain
- Immigration Rules: Appendix Continuous Residence
- Home Office guidance: continuous residence
- Immigration Rules: Appendix FM (family members)
- Home Office immigration and nationality fees
- GOV.UK: Life in the UK test
- GOV.UK consultation: earned settlement
Rules and fees checked on GOV.UK on 12 October 2026.
Who will check your dates
Oliverta Mediu
Partner — Immigration & Family
Immigration work is carried out by our team of solicitors, legal advisers and paralegals, supervised by Partner Oliverta Mediu. Oliverta wrote our guide to ILR.
Questions people ask
How is my ILR date calculated?
Your qualifying period starts on the date your qualifying visa or time began. That is usually the date you entered the UK on that visa, or the date it was granted, whichever is later: if you are not sure which date to use, ask us. Add the years your route needs (5 years on most routes) and that is the date your qualifying period ends. On most routes you can apply up to 28 days before that date. If you have had more than one visa, ask us which date counts.
Can I apply for ILR 28 days early?
On most routes, yes. The Immigration Rules (Appendix Continuous Residence, CR 1.1(b)) let you apply up to 28 days before your qualifying period ends. For the partner route, which has its own rules in Appendix FM, check with us before applying early: the calculator gives the end of your qualifying period as your date instead.
Do my holidays and trips abroad count?
Yes. On most routes you must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period of your qualifying time. Every trip counts, including holidays and work trips. Only whole days count: the day you leave and the day you come back are not counted as days outside the UK. The 12-month periods roll, so the calculator checks every one of them, not just calendar years. Partner routes have their own rules on time abroad: the calculator shows your days outside the UK, and we check them against your route.
What if I spent more than 180 days outside the UK in 12 months?
On most routes that can break your continuous residence, which may mean your qualifying period starts again, with limited exceptions. Do not apply until a solicitor has looked at your dates and reasons. Partner routes have their own rules on time abroad: ask us to check.
How do absences work on the long residence route?
For absences that began on or after 11 April 2024, the 180-days-in-12-months rule applies. Absences that began before 11 April 2024 fall under the older long residence limits: no more than 548 days in total and no single absence over 184 days. The calculator applies the 180-day rule to every trip and flags any trip that began before 11 April 2024, so we can check it under the older rules.
What else do I need apart from the qualifying period?
Most applicants aged 18 to 64 must pass the Life in the UK test (£50). Most routes need English speaking and listening at level B1; for applications made on or after 26 March 2027 the level rises to B2. Skilled Workers must meet a salary requirement when they apply for ILR: at least £41,700, or the going rate for their job if that is higher (some exceptions apply; ask us which applies to you). The Home Office application fee for ILR is £3,226 (Home Office fee table, checked 12 October 2026).
What changes to ILR are planned?
The government has proposed "earned settlement", which would make 10 years the usual qualifying period for ILR, with shorter periods for some people. It consulted on this between November 2025 and February 2026. As of 12 October 2026 the changes are not in force and no start date or transition rules have been published. The government has said it intends to apply them to people already in the UK. If you are close to your date, check your dates with us.
Helpful guides
Our services: indefinite leave to remain, british citizenship, spouse and partner visas, skilled worker visas. More free tools, including our spouse visa income checker.
Want us to check your dates before you apply?
This calculator is general information about UK immigration law as of 12 October 2026, not advice on your application. The Home Office decides every application, and the rules change often.