The UK's Most Trusted ILR Calculator

What is Indefinite Leave to Remain?

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) — also known as UK settlement, permanent residence or settled status — is the immigration status that frees you from time-limited visas. Once granted by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), ILR allows you to live, work, study and access public funds in the United Kingdom without restriction. It is the final step before applying for British citizenship by naturalisation.

How our ILR calculators work

Each tool on this site is built around the Immigration Rules published by the UK Home Office and refined by experienced UK immigration solicitors. Whether you need to confirm your ILR eligibility, calculate your earliest application date, check the 28-day early-application window, track your days absent from the UK, review continuous residence, or measure your qualifying period, our calculators give you a fast, free, mobile-friendly answer.

The 180-day absence rule explained

Most 5-year ILR routes require that you spend no more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period during the qualifying years. Excessive absences — even by a single day — can lead to refusal. Long Residence applicants face a separate set of limits: a maximum of 540 days outside the UK across the 10-year period and no single absence over 184 days. Our absence calculator handles both rule sets automatically.

Other ILR requirements you must meet

• Life in the UK Test — passed within 2 years before applying.
• English language — B1 CEFR (or equivalent qualification / nationality exemption).
• Knowledge of Language and Life (KoLL) — combined evidence of English + Life in the UK Test.
• Suitability — no serious criminal record, deception or breaches of Immigration Rules.
• Financial requirement — applicable to spouse and family routes (currently £29,000 minimum income).

ILR calculator by visa route — full topical coverage

Different visa routes lead to settlement under different sections of the Immigration Rules, and each carries its own qualifying period, absence allowance and continuous residence test. Our ILR calculator maps cleanly to every major route so you get the right answer first time:

• Skilled Worker ILR calculator — 5-year qualifying period under Appendix Skilled Worker, 180-day rolling absence limit, salary and sponsorship continuity checks.
• Spouse / Partner visa ILR calculator (Appendix FM) — 5-year route to settlement, financial requirement (£29,000 minimum income), English language B1 and the relationship subsisting test.
• 10-Year Long Residence ILR calculator — paragraph 276B continuous lawful residence, 540-day total absence cap and the 184-day single-absence rule.
• Global Talent & Innovator Founder ILR calculator — 3-year accelerated route for endorsed applicants meeting the achievement criteria.
• UK Ancestry ILR calculator — 5-year qualifying period for Commonwealth citizens with a UK-born grandparent.
• Health and Care Worker ILR calculator — 5-year route under the Skilled Worker framework with sponsor-specific evidence requirements.
• Tier 1 Investor (transitional) ILR calculator — 2, 3 or 5-year accelerated paths depending on investment level under the closed Investor route.
• Returning Resident ILR calculator — guidance for previously settled migrants who have been outside the UK for more than 2 years and need to apply for a Returning Resident visa.

Why ilrcalculatoruk.co.uk is the UK's most trusted ILR resource

Topical authority on UK settlement is built on three pillars: legal accuracy, breadth of coverage and clarity. Every calculator on this site is anchored to the Home Office Immigration Rules, cross-checked against published caseworker guidance, and refined with feedback from practising UK immigration solicitors regulated by the SRA and OISC. Our content covers the full settlement journey — from the first day of your qualifying period, through Section 3C leave, biometric enrolment, the Life in the UK Test and Knowledge of Language and Life requirement, the Set (M), Set (O), Set (LR) and Set (F) application forms, all the way to British citizenship by naturalisation under the British Nationality Act 1981.

We also explain the procedural details that decide real cases: how UKVI counts part-days for absences, how the 28-day early application window interacts with biometric appointments, when paragraph 39E exceptions for overstayers apply, how the “continuous residence” clock pauses (or breaks) on visa changes, and what to do if you have switched between routes such as Tier 2 to Skilled Worker, or Spouse to Global Talent. This is the depth of coverage that turns a simple ILR calculator into a genuine settlement planning tool.