Appendix Long Residence: ILR 10 Years Guidance 2025

What is ILR long residence?

ILR on the Long Residence route (often called the ILR 10 years route) is a way to settle in the UK after you’ve lived here lawfully and continuously for at least 10 years. The rules for this pathway are set out in Immigration Rules: Appendix Long Residence

One of the main benefits of the long residence route to ILR is that you can combine time spent on different types of long‑term visas during your 10 years in the UK. Short‑term visas (e.g. visitor visas) do not count towards this period. This makes it different from other ILR routes, which typically require you to have held a single, specific visa for 3 or 5 years. For this reason, the long residence route is particularly useful for people who have lived in the UK for 10+ years under different long‑term visa categories, provided they meet the other eligibility requirements.

Another key benefit is that, unlike most other ILR routes, switching between visas does not reset your ILR qualifying period. For example, if you switch from a Skilled Worker visa to a Spouse visa, your 5‑year ILR clock would normally restart. Under the ILR long residence route, however, all qualifying time on long‑term visas counts — as long as your stay has been lawful and continuous (we explain what counts as continuous residence below).

Appendix Long Residence requirements 2025

To qualify for ILR under the long residence route, you must meet the following requirements:

• Have continuous 10 years of lawful residence
• Not have breached the UK immigration laws
• Not having exceeded the permitted absence limits
• Held your current visa for at least 12 months if it was granted on or after 11^th April 2024
• Meet the English language requirement at a minimum of B1 CEFR level
• Pass the Life in the UK Test
• Meet suitability criteria – have no serious criminal history or other grounds for refusal

Continuous 10 Years of lawful residence

To qualify for ILR under the long residence route, your 10 years must be both continuous and lawful. The full rules are set out in the Appendix Continuous Residence to the Immigration Rules. ‘Lawful’ in this sense means that for every day of your 10 years in the UK, you must have had valid leave to enter or remain granted under the Immigration Rules. For example, you must not have overstayed your visa at any point or breached your visa conditions. ‘Continuous’ means you must not have been absent from the UK for longer than is allowed (see below for more details).

When assessing your application, the Home Office will check if you have spent at least 10 years in the UK on long-term visas (e.g. long-term study, work, family, or business). You cannot include time in the UK as a visitor or short-term student, seasonal worker, or on immigration bail, temporary admission, or temporary release. 

One of the updates in the latest Long Residence guidance is that time spent in the Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man) can now be counted towards the qualifying period for a long residence ILR application, provided your most recent permission was granted in the UK and you were in the Crown Dependencies on a route equivalent to a UK visa.

To calculate whether you meet the 10-year long residence ILR requirement, you need to:

• Add up all the time spent in the UK on long-term visas
• Make sure there are no gaps between visas
• Check absences (see below for more details)

Your period of continuous residence will be broken if you are convicted of an offence, deported, or you overstay your time in the UK.

Absence limits requirement

The rules state that you must not have been outside the UK (i.e. absent from) for too long during your time in the UK. The rules on absences to meet the continuous residence requirement recently changed. The absence rules now state:

Absences before 11^th April 2024 (the old rules)

A maximum absence from the UK of 184 days is allowed for any single absence that started before 11^th April 2024. Any longer would exceed the rule and break the continuous residence requirement.

In addition, the total absence during the qualifying period before that date must not exceed 548 days.

Examples:

• You left the UK for 200 days in one trip in 2022; this would exceed the old single-absence limit, even if your total absences were below 548 days, your period of continuous residence would be broken.
• You took three long trips abroad before April 2024, of 150 days in 2018, 160 days in 2019, and 170 days in 2023. Each trip is under 184 days, but the total adds up to 480 days. This is considered continuous as it’s below the 548-day total limit.
• You had absences of 100 days in 2015, 150 days in 2017, and 310 days in 2020. All trips are below the 184-day single limit, but the total is 560 days, exceeding the 548-day total limit, so your continuous residence would be broken.

Absences on or after 11^th April 2024 (the new rules)

Under the new rules:

• There is no longer a total cap of 548 days for absences from the UK taken after 11^th April 2024.
• Instead, you must not exceed 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12‑month period.

If any part of your 10-year qualifying period goes beyond 11^th April 2024, the old 548-day limit no longer applies to the whole period. This means that if your 10-year residence is on either side of this date, you no longer have to meet the 548-day cap. What matters is the new rolling limit of 180 days.

It is always recommended that, before you apply for ILR under this route, you take the time to check that you have not exceeded this absence requirement. If you are applying for ILR under the long residence route and you have been outside the UK before and after the 11^th April 2024, both sets of rules will apply.

When you apply for ILR under the long-term residence route, the Home Office will check that you have had no absences outside of the rules and no breaks in your lawful status. Even a short gap between visas can break continuity.

No breach of immigration laws requirement

To meet the no breach requirement, you must not have:

• Overstayed your visa without a valid exception
• Breached your visa conditions, such as unauthorised work or study
• Used false information or documents in an application

A short period of overstaying may be allowed if you made a new application to remain within 14 days of your previous visa expiring and had good reasons that are beyond your control (e.g. serious illness). This 14-day rule will also apply if you were refused and then reapplied.

The Current visa must be held for 12-month requirement

If your current visa was granted on or after 11^th April 2024, you must have held it for at least 12 months before applying for ILR long residence. This is a new requirement.

For example, if you switched to a Skilled Worker visa on 1^st May 2024, you cannot apply for ILR under the long residence route until at least 1^st May 2025, even if you have already completed your 10-year period.

English language requirement

To qualify for ILR through long residence, you can meet the English language requirement in a number of ways, including by:

• Passing an approved English test at B1, B2, C1, or C2
• Holding a degree taught or researched in English
• Being from a majority English-speaking country

Applicants under 18 or over 65 are exempt from this requirement. You may also be exempt if you have a physical or mental health condition or if there are exceptional circumstances which prevent you from meeting the English language requirement.

10-year long residence application required documents

The documents you need will depend on your circumstances. General documents required for ILR long residence are:

• Identity and immigration status documents
• Proof of continuous residence for 10 years
• Absence records
• Proof of English language level
• Life in the UK Test pass certificate

Identity and immigration status documents

• Current passport or travel document
• Biometric Residence Permit
• All previous passports covering the past 10 years

Proof of continuous residence for 10 years

• Tenancy agreements or mortgage statements for each address
• Utility bills showing regular UK residence
• Bank statements covering the period
• Payslips or P60s
• Letters from employers or educational institutions

Absence records

• Flight confirmations and itineraries
• Entry and exit stamps in passports
• Travel booking receipts

We recommend keeping records for every trip you take outside of the UK, no matter how long or short. You should assume that the Home Office case officer will cross-check your declared absences with their own records to see if there are any gaps.

If you do not have access to all of the information you need to calculate your time in the UK, you can submit a subject access request (SAR) to the Home Office. A basic search will provide you with a summary of your immigration and travel history and any landing cards held electronically. It will also provide basic details of visa applications you submitted from outside of the UK for entry clearance.

FAQs about ILR Long Residence

References:

GOV.UK: Long residence

GOV.UK: Immigration Rules Appendix Continuous Residence