ILR calculator: continuous residence and absences

How ILR continuous residence is calculated

The qualifying period

The clock starts on the date your continuous leave on the route began and runs for the length of that route: three years on some routes such as Global Talent and Innovator Founder, five years on Skilled Worker and most partner routes, and ten years on long residence. It completes on the same calendar date at the end of that period, so leave that began on 12 March 2021 on a five year route completes on 12 March 2026.

The rolling 180-day absence test

On most routes you cannot spend more than 180 whole days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period during the qualifying years. Rolling means every possible 12-month window, not each calendar year, which is why the test is easy to fail by accident.

A worked example: 100 days abroad from September to December 2024, then 95 days from February to May 2025. Neither calendar year exceeds 180 days on its own, but the window from September 2024 to August 2025 contains 195 days, so continuous residence is broken in that window.

The 28-day early application window

You can normally apply up to 28 days before the qualifying period completes. Take the completion date and count back 28 days: that is the earliest date the application can be submitted. Applying earlier than that risks a refusal on eligibility grounds, with the fee at stake.

What breaks residence, and what does not

Excessive absences are the common cause, but a gap between grants of leave, time in the UK without valid permission, and removal or deportation can also break the period. Days of departure and arrival are generally not counted as absent days. Absences for compelling or compassionate reasons, such as serious illness or a bereavement, may be disregarded where they are evidenced, but ordinary business travel is not an exception.