ILR Continuous Residence Calculator
Determine when your 5-year or 10-year qualifying period completes and verify that there are no gaps in your visa history.
What is Continuous Residence?
Continuous Residence is the requirement that you have lived in the UK for a specific length of time without breaking your immigration conditions. For most ILR applicants, this means a period of 5 years, though a 10-year route exists for Long Residence. Crucially, your residence must be “continuous” — meaning there should be no gaps in your visa permissions.
Gaps in leave
A gap occurs when your current visa expires before your new visa begins. Generally, any gap of more than 28 days will break your continuous residence, meaning you may have to start the qualifying period clock again. Use this calculator to verify that your visa grants and expiry dates link up correctly.
Does the start date matter?
Yes. Your continuous residence clock usually starts ticking from the date you were first granted leave to enter or remain in the UK that leads towards settlement. For example, if you entered on a Student visa (which does not lead to settlement) and then switched to a Skilled Worker visa, your 5-year clock typically only starts when the Skilled Worker visa was granted.
Applying too early
Even if your continuous residence period completes on a specific date, you generally cannot apply until the “28-day early application window” opens (28 days before that date). Use our ILR 28 Days Calculator to find the exact date you can submit your application.