ILR Application Date Calculator

Researched and maintained by the ILR Calculator UK editorial team · Reviewed against the Immigration Rules in force on 24 June 2026 · General information about UK settlement, not regulated immigration advice. For advice on your own case, use an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) or a solicitor.

The earliest you can apply for ILR is 28 calendar days before your qualifying period completes. This is the “28-day early window” at paragraph CR 1.2(a) of Appendix Continuous Residence. To find your date, take the anniversary on which your qualifying period (3, 5 or 10 years) completes and count back 28 calendar days, including weekends and bank holidays. Applying even one day earlier than that leads to refusal and loss of the £3,226 fee, so the submission date is worth getting exactly right.

Why the ILR application date matters

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) applies the timing rules strictly. If you submit before the 28-day window opens, the application is refused as premature. That means losing the £3,226 application fee (the fee from 8 April 2026) and, in some cases, a gap that disrupts your continuous residence. Equally, leaving the application too late risks your existing leave expiring before you apply, which can also break continuous residence. The safe zone is the 28 days immediately before your qualifying anniversary.

The 28-day early window rule explained

Under paragraph CR 1.2(a) of Appendix Continuous Residence, you may apply for settlement up to 28 days before completing your qualifying residency. These are 28 calendar days, not working days, so weekends and bank holidays count. This calculator automates the backward count from your 3, 5 or 10-year anniversary so you do not have to count by hand.

28-day window: worked examples

The table below shows how the earliest application date is derived from the qualifying-period completion date across the three route lengths.

Source: paragraph CR 1.2(a), Immigration Rules Appendix Continuous Residence. Earliest date = qualifying-period completion date minus 28 calendar days.

Finding your qualifying period start date

Getting “day zero” right is essential. For Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Spouse/Partner and most other routes, the qualifying period usually begins on the date your first grant of qualifying leave became valid — the “valid from” date on your visa or e-visa, not always the day you physically arrived. For Long Residence, the period runs from the start of your continuous lawful residence in the UK. If your history involves switching routes or gaps, our continuous residence calculator can help you verify it.

Choosing a safe submission date

Choosing your submission date means balancing getting settled sooner against the risk of a premature refusal. Most applicants apply on the first day of the 28-day window to secure section 3C leave, which protects the right to work and rent while the Home Office decides. If your current leave runs comfortably beyond your anniversary, there is no harm in applying a little later in or after the window, provided your leave does not lapse first.

Practical steps before you apply

• Life in the UK Test: have your pass notification number ready.
• Absence audit: use our absence calculator to confirm you are within the 180-day rolling limit.
• Eligibility: sanity-check your route, dates and absences with the ILR eligibility calculator.
• Documents: have your e-visa, passports, P60s, employer letters and bank statements ready before your window opens.
• Fees: budget £3,226 plus the £19.20 biometric enrolment fee; both are non-refundable if refused.