Can I get indefinite leave to remain after 10 years in the UK?
Short answer
Yes, if all ten years were continuous and lawful, you were not outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month period, and you meet the Life in the UK and B1 English requirements. The fee is £3,226 per person, and it is not refunded if the application fails.
The long residence route lets people who have built a life here across several visa categories settle after ten years of continuous lawful residence immediately before applying. It is unforgiving on detail, and the fee — £3,226 per person, non-refundable — makes a refusal expensive.
What counts towards the ten years
- Counts: time on Student or Tier 4 visas, work visas, family routes and other substantive leave, provided it was continuous and lawful throughout.
- Does not count: time as a visitor, on short-term study visas, or as an illegal entrant.
Gaps between visas are the classic problem. A gap of up to 28 days may be permissible where the rules allow — for example where an in-time application was delayed in processing — but any gap is a risk, and it should be reviewed by an OISC-regulated adviser before you commit the fee.
The 180-day absence rule
You must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period across the decade. Reconstruct this carefully from passport stamps, boarding passes and travel records, and prepare a full schedule of absences with dates and reasons.
The Home Office has discretion to overlook excessive absences genuinely beyond your control — pandemic travel bans, medical advice not to travel and cancelled flights have been accepted — but discretion is not a right. Evidence each excess absence in detail and explain it in the covering letter.
The other requirements, and the paperwork
You must pass the Life in the UK test and meet the B1 English requirement, both satisfied at the date of application. Assemble old passports, visa grant letters, employment or study records and evidence of residence across the whole period — a decade of paperwork takes longer to gather than most people expect.
If your ten years do not quite work, check the alternatives before applying: a route-specific five-year settlement path, or an extension that buys time to fix a defect, is usually cheaper than a refused long residence application.
Related guides
Long Residence (10-Year) Route to Settlement
If you have lived lawfully in the UK for a continuous period of ten years, you may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) on the long residence route. This route is open to people who have built their life in the UK across multiple visa categories and who may not qualify for settlement under a shorter specific route. It requires careful assembly of evidence and strict compliance with the absence and continuity rules.
9 min
Settlement and Indefinite Leave to Remain
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) — also called settlement — gives you the right to live, work, and study in the UK for an indefinite period without immigration restrictions. ILR is a significant step on the pathway to British citizenship and provides much greater security than any time-limited visa. However, ILR can be lost if you spend extended periods outside the UK.
8 min
Life in the UK Test Preparation
The Life in the UK Test is a computer-based test of knowledge about British history, culture, society, and values. It must be passed by most applicants for Indefinite Leave to Remain and British citizenship. The test consists of 24 questions drawn from the official handbook and must be completed in 45 minutes.
5 min
5-Year vs 10-Year Partner Route
When a partner or spouse visa is granted under the family route (Appendix FM), the applicant is placed on either a 5-year route or a 10-year route to Indefinite Leave to Remain. Which route you are put on depends on whether you meet all the requirements of the Immigration Rules — including the financial requirement — at the time of your application. Understanding the difference between these two routes can save years and significant costs.
8 min
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