Settlement in the UK After 10 Years: Long Residence ILR

If you have lived lawfully in the UK for ten continuous years, you may qualify for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) under the long residence route. You can often combine time spent on different eligible visas, rather than completing the whole period on one immigration route.

Reaching ten years does not automatically qualify you for settlement. Your immigration history, absences, current permission and other requirements must all be checked before you apply.

What is the 10-year long residence route?

Long residence allows eligible applicants to settle after ten years of lawful, continuous residence. ILR removes the need for further visa extensions and allows you to live, work and study in the UK without a time limit.

This is a separate route from settlement after ten years on a family visa. The rules for combining immigration categories and assessing residence differ, so you should identify the correct route before preparing your application.

Which visa categories can count?

Eligible periods can include permission as a Student, Skilled Worker, partner or dependant. For example, someone who studied in the UK and later held work and partner visas may be able to combine those periods.

Not every form of permission counts. The rules exclude time as a Visitor, Short-term Student (English language), Seasonal Worker or under the Ukraine schemes, including relevant predecessor routes.

Overstaying and time on immigration bail or temporary admission do not normally count towards the qualifying period. Any gaps need careful assessment: a period may be disregarded for a particular purpose without counting as lawful residence.

Do you need 12 months on your current route?

You normally need to have held permission on your current immigration route for at least 12 months when applying for long residence settlement. This requirement does not apply where your current permission was granted before 11 April 2024.

If you recently switched visa categories, check this requirement before assuming that reaching your ten-year anniversary is enough.

How do absences from the UK affect eligibility?

Prepare a complete travel history, including departure and return dates. The absence rules changed on 11 April 2024, so a ten-year period may involve both the old and new rules.

Absences starting before 11 April 2024

The transitional rules include a limit of 184 days for an individual absence starting before 11 April 2024, and a 548-day total absence limit where that total was reached before that date.

Absences from 11 April 2024

The general limit is 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period. This is not simply a January-to-December calculation.

Exceptions can apply to certain absences, including qualifying travel disruption or compelling and compassionate circumstances. Keep evidence explaining the reason and duration. Trips crossing the changeover date should be assessed against the detailed rules.

English language and the Life in the UK Test

Unless exempt, you must meet the English language requirement and pass the Life in the UK Test.

• For applications before 26 March 2027, the English requirement is at least B1 in speaking and listening.
• For applications on or after 26 March 2027, the published rules require at least B2 in speaking and listening.

Check the accepted evidence and exemptions before booking a test. If you qualify on residence but cannot yet meet the English or Life in the UK requirements, a long residence extension may be available instead of immediate settlement.

Documents to prepare

Start with your current passport and the passports you have held during your UK residence. You should also prepare evidence of your immigration status, including your eVisa share code or relevant BRP, and any required certified translations.

Depending on your circumstances, your application preparation may also include:

• A timeline of visa grants and applications.
• A complete schedule of trips outside the UK.
• Records explaining missing passports or unclear travel dates.
• Evidence supporting any claimed absence exception.
• English language evidence and Life in the UK Test details.
• An explanation of any gaps, refusals or other relevant issues.

Organise documents so that the caseworker can follow your history. Do not guess dates where reliable records can be obtained.

Application fees and processing times

The current Home Office fee for long residence ILR is £3,226 per applicant. There is no Immigration Health Surcharge for an ILR application.

Standard applications usually receive a decision within six months of providing biometrics. Where available, the super priority service costs an additional £1,000 and normally provides a decision by the next working day following a weekday biometric appointment. Complex cases can take longer.

Biometric enrolment itself has no Home Office fee, although appointment providers may charge for optional appointment slots or additional services. Check the current fees when applying.

Can you travel while the application is pending?

Do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before a decision. Leaving this area while your application is pending will result in the application being withdrawn.

Can your partner and children apply with you?

The long residence route does not provide a dependant application alongside yours. Your partner and children must qualify under an appropriate route in their own right.

Before switching to long residence settlement, check how the decision affects family members who currently hold dependant permission.

Does ILR make you a British citizen?

No. Settlement and British citizenship are separate applications. ILR may allow you to apply for citizenship later, but you must meet the naturalisation requirements that apply to your circumstances.

For a wider overview, see our indefinite leave to remain guide.

Help with your long residence application

A ten-year history can involve several visas, passport changes and overseas trips. Reviewing the full record before applying helps identify the correct qualifying period and the evidence needed to explain it.

Thai Visa Express’s UK office provides UK immigration advice under IAA registration F200700163. Contact us to discuss your eligibility and application preparation.