Find the first date you can apply for ILR. Pick your visa, add the date your time started, and you will see your date straight away.
This is the day you entered the UK on this visa, or the day it was granted if you applied from inside the UK.
How we work out the date
Each route has its own qualifying period. Most work routes need 5 years. Global Talent and Innovator Founder need 3. The long residence route needs 10 years of lawful stay.
Your time usually starts on one of two dates:
- The day you entered the UK, if you got your visa from abroad.
- The day your visa was granted, if you applied from inside the UK.
If you are not sure which date to use, look at your old visa decision letter and your first entry stamp or travel ticket.
The 28-day rule, explained properly
You will often read that you can apply “28 days early”. That is close, but the real rule is a bit different. Rule CR 1.1 says the Home Office can count your time back from your application date, or from any date up to 28 days after it, or from the decision date. They use whichever helps you most.
So in practice, if your 5 years end on 20 June, you can apply from 23 May. Apply before that and you will be refused, and the fee is not refunded.
Things that can push your date back
- More than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months. Check this with our 180-day absence tool.
- A gap between two visas. Short gaps can be ignored in some cases, but long ones can reset your time.
- Time on a visa that does not lead to settlement, like a Student or Visitor visa. That time does not count on a 5-year route.
The rules may change
The government has proposed a new system called Earned Settlement. Under it, most people would wait 10 years, not 5. It is not law yet. See what it could mean for you with the Earned Settlement estimator.
Sources: GOV.UK: Indefinite leave to remain, Immigration Rules: Appendix Continuous Residence (CR 1.1, CR 3.1).
Last checked against GOV.UK: 11 October 2026
Questions people ask
How many years do I need for ILR on a Skilled Worker visa?
Usually 5 years. Time on a Tier 2 or T2 visa before it became the Skilled Worker visa also counts.
Can I apply for ILR 28 days early?
In practice, yes. Rule CR 1.1 lets the Home Office count your time back from any date up to 28 days after you apply. Apply earlier than that and you will be refused.
Does time as a student count towards 5-year ILR?
No. Student visa time does not count on the 5-year work routes. It can count towards the 10-year long residence route.
How much is the ILR fee?
From 8 April 2026 the fee is £3,226 for each person. Children and partners pay the same fee.