Long residence indefinite leave to remain is a settlement route for people whose UK immigration history may span several different visas rather than one single route. If you have built up 10 years of lawful, continuous residence in the UK and meet the other settlement requirements, you may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain even though your immigration category changed along the way.
That makes the 10 year long residence UK route relevant to people who have moved from study to work, changed work routes. The challenge is checking exactly which periods count, whether absences break continuity, and whether any gaps or immigration-history issues affect eligibility.
What counts toward the 10-year qualifying period?
For ILR long residence, the qualifying period is normally 10 years spent lawfully in the UK on routes that count under Appendix Long Residence. Time on most mainstream immigration routes can be combined, so you do not need to spend all 10 years in the same category.
Some periods do not count. Current rules exclude time spent as a Visitor, Short-term Student, Seasonal Worker or under the Ukraine Scheme, as well as time on immigration bail, temporary admission or temporary release. Periods of overstaying are also not counted toward the qualifying period, even where an overstaying exception may apply for another purpose.
A practical tip is to build a year-by-year immigration timeline and identify the legal basis for every period. If you changed from Student permission to Skilled Worker permission, for example, both periods may count. If there was an excluded category or a gap between permissions, the calculation may be different.
How continuous residence is assessed
Continuous residence UK rules look at both lawful status and time spent outside the country. For absences beginning on or after 11 April 2024, the general rule is that you must not spend more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period, unless an exception applies.
Older absences are subject to transitional rules. For periods abroad that began before 11 April 2024, long residence applicants generally need to consider the previous limits of no more than 184 days in a single absence and no more than 548 days in total across the relevant qualifying period. Applicants with frequent travel should therefore map every departure and return date.
A practical absence-checking example
Suppose someone has lived lawfully in the UK since 2016 and later moved from Student permission to a work route. They spent extended periods abroad in 2019, 2022 and 2025. The pre-April 2024 trips must be checked under the transitional limits, while the 2025 absence must be assessed under the 180-days-in-any-12-month-period rule. Simply adding every day abroad together would not be enough.
The 12-month current-route rule
If your current permission was granted on or after 11 April 2024, you normally need to have been on your current immigration route for at least 12 months by the date of application. This requirement does not apply where the current permission was granted before 11 April 2024.
As a result, settlement after 10 years is not always available the moment the tenth anniversary arrives. Someone who switched to a new route shortly before reaching 10 years may need to wait until the 12-month requirement is met.
English language and Life in the UK requirements
Long residence settlement also requires the English language and Knowledge of Life in the UK requirements to be met unless an exemption applies. As of October 2026, an application made before 26 March 2027 requires at least B1 speaking and listening. For applications made on or after 26 March 2027, the rules provide for a B2 requirement.
Applicants who are under 18, aged 65 or over, or who qualify for certain disability-based exemptions may not have to meet these requirements in the usual way. Most other adult applicants should plan their Life in the UK Test and English evidence before applying.
Suitability and immigration-history issues
Meeting the residence calculation does not automatically guarantee ILR. The applicant must also satisfy the suitability rules. Criminality, deception, certain immigration breaches and other conduct can lead to refusal depending on the facts.
If your history contains overstaying, a refused application, a late application, an appeal, section 3C leave, or an uncertain period between visas, reconstruct the chronology carefully before relying on that time.
Evidence to prepare
The standard application requires a current passport or other valid travel document and the passports held during the period of residence. Applicants may also need evidence of immigration status, such as eVisa information or an expired biometric residence permit where relevant, plus certified translations for documents not in English or Welsh.
For complicated histories, keep Home Office decision letters, previous immigration documents and travel records that help explain disputed dates. Related topics worth reviewing include Life in the UK Test preparation, proving English for UK settlement, and British citizenship after ILR.
How to apply for long residence ILR
The application is made online from inside the UK using the long residence settlement form. You must pay the fee, provide biometrics when required and submit supporting evidence. As of October 2026, the published fee for indefinite leave to remain on this route is £3,226, and a standard decision usually takes up to six months after biometrics. A super priority service may be available for an additional fee.
Home Office guidance allows an application to be granted where it is considered no more than 28 days before the 10-year qualifying period is completed, provided all other requirements are met. Applying earlier than that can lead to refusal, so calculate the qualifying date carefully.
Do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while the application is pending, because the application can be treated as withdrawn.
Frequently asked questions
Can different visa categories be combined for long residence?
Yes. Time on most qualifying immigration routes can be combined to reach 10 years, provided the residence is lawful and continuous and the periods do not fall within excluded categories.
Do all absences from the UK break continuous residence?
No. Absences are permitted within the applicable limits. The rules differ depending on whether an absence began before or after 11 April 2024, so the dates of each trip matter.
Does overstaying count toward the 10 years?
No. Periods of overstaying do not count toward the long residence qualifying period, even where an exception may prevent refusal on another basis.
Can I apply immediately after reaching 10 years?
Not always. You must satisfy all requirements, including the current-route rule where it applies, as well as the English, Life in the UK and suitability requirements.
Conclusion
Long residence indefinite leave to remain can provide a valuable route to settlement for people whose decade in the UK involved several different immigration categories. The strongest approach is to build a precise timeline showing which permissions count, how each absence is treated, whether continuous residence was maintained, and whether the current-route and suitability requirements are met. In long residence cases, a small gap or misunderstood absence can matter more than the number of years shown on the calendar.
