Private Life ILR: The 5 and 10-Year Settlement Routes
How people who have built their lives in the UK settle on private life grounds — who qualifies, how long each route to ILR takes, and the requirements that apply.
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The private life route leads to settlement based on the life someone has built in the UK — over either a 5-year or a 10-year qualifying period, depending on their age and circumstances. Children with 7 years’ residence and young adults who have spent half their life here are on the 5-year route; adults with 20 years’ residence are on the 10-year route; and a child born in the UK with 7 years’ residence can apply for ILR directly. It is a human-rights route, so fee waivers are available.
The private life route to ILR
The private life route, set out in Appendix Private Life (which replaced the old paragraph 276ADE rules on 20 June 2022), is based on Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights — the right to respect for private and family life. It is for people whose ties to the UK, built through years of residence, education, relationships and community, make it disproportionate to expect them to leave. Unlike the work and family routes, eligibility turns on length of residence and integration rather than sponsorship or income. It sits alongside, but is distinct from, the 10-year long residence route, which is based on lawful residence.
Who qualifies, and how long to ILR
Appendix Private Life sets several categories, each with its own residence requirement and its own route to settlement.
| Category | Residence requirement | Route to ILR |
|---|---|---|
| Child (under 18) | 7 years’ continuous residence; unreasonable to expect them to leave | 5 years |
| Child born in the UK | 7 years’ continuous residence since birth | Immediate ILR |
| Young adult (18–24) | At least half their life lived continuously in the UK | 5 years |
| Adult (18+) | 20 years’ continuous residence (lawful or not) | 10 years |
| Adult (18+) | Very significant obstacles to integration abroad | 10 years |
Source: UK Immigration Rules, Appendix Private Life. From 29 July 2025, more children and young adults granted leave before 20 June 2022 (under Appendix FM or outside the rules) also qualify for the 5-year route rather than the 10-year route.
The 5-year and 10-year routes explained
The headline difference is how settlement is reached. On the 5-year route, children and young adults are usually granted a single 5-year (60-month) period of leave, then apply for ILR at the end without needing extensions. On the 10-year route, adults are granted leave in 30-month (2.5-year) blocks and must renew several times — at least four grants in total — before they reach the 10-year point and can apply for settlement.
Continuous residence and absences
Settlement on the private life route is assessed under Appendix Continuous Residence, so the 180-day rolling absence rule applies across the qualifying period — no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month window. This is an important change: the old private life rules did not consider absences at all, so travel during the qualifying years now counts. Map yours with the absence calculator.
English, Life in the UK and exemptions
The Knowledge of Language and Life requirement applies, but with broad exemptions on this route:
- Children under 18 are fully exempt from both the English requirement and the Life in the UK test.
- Adults aged 18 to 64 normally need English at B1 and a Life in the UK test pass, unless exempt.
- Those aged 65 or over, and people with a qualifying long-term physical or mental condition, are also exempt.
Suitability also matters: settlement can be refused on criminality grounds, with specific thresholds — for example a custodial sentence of 12 months or more is normally a bar, while shorter sentences may be overcome only after long further periods of residence.
Private life ILR requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Qualifying period | 5 years (child / young adult) or 10 years (adult) |
| Absences | ≤ 180 days in any rolling 12 months |
| English | B1 for adults 18–64; children & over-65s exempt |
| Life in the UK | Required for adults 18–64; children exempt |
| Suitability | Part 9 and private-life criminality thresholds |
| Fee | £3,226 (no IHS on settlement); fee waivers available |
Source: Appendix Private Life and Appendix Continuous Residence. Limited leave on this route is applied for on form FLR(FP); settlement is applied for online.
Fees and fee waivers
The ILR fee is £3,226, and there is no Immigration Health Surcharge on settlement. Because private life is a human-rights route, fee waivers are available for applicants who cannot afford the cost — including the application fee and, at the limited-leave stage, the Immigration Health Surcharge. You must apply for the waiver and show you would be left destitute, cannot meet the fee, or face exceptional financial circumstances. For applicants and families supported by local authorities, councils can signpost access to immigration advice.
Private life ILR: frequently asked questions
Who qualifies for ILR on the private life route?
How long until settlement on the private life route?
Does time in the UK without status count for the private life route?
Do children need to pass the Life in the UK test and English for private life ILR?
Does the 180-day absence rule apply to private life ILR?
Can I get a fee waiver for a private life application?
Our editorial and accuracy standards
ILR Calculator UK is an independent, free settlement-planning resource. The categories, qualifying periods and requirements on this page are taken directly from Appendix Private Life and the Home Office private life guidance, with the primary source linked at the point it is used. We review the content after each Statement of Changes and record the review date at the top of the page.
This site provides general information, not regulated immigration advice. Private life cases are highly fact-sensitive — reasonableness, very significant obstacles and suitability all turn on individual circumstances. For a binding assessment of your own case, contact an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) or a solicitor listed on the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor register, and ask whether legal aid is available.