Free UK ILR Calculator: Your Path to Indefinite Leave to Remain

Verify Your Continuous Residence. Avoid Costly Absence Errors.

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Unlocking Your Pathway to the UK

Trusted Visa & Immigration Experts

Unlocking Your Pathway to the UK

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Guidance from Application to Ambition

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The journey to UK settlement is not just about time; it is about precision. At Conroy Baker Ltd., we designed this complimentary Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) Calculator to give you immediate clarity on the single most critical element of your application: continuous lawful residence and your earliest possible application date.

Use the tool below to estimate your eligibility, and then read our expert guidance to ensure no detail – from the 180-day rolling rule to the complexities of visa switching  is overlooked. A DIY mistake on ILR can cost you years; we ensure your transition is seamless.

Your Free UK Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) Calculator

ILR Qualifying Period Calculator


This calculator provides an estimate and does not constitute legal advice. For a thorough assessment of your eligibility, please contact Conroy Baker Ltd.

Important Notice: Use of this Free ILR Calculator
This Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) Calculator is a complimentary online tool provided for informational and preliminary assessment purposes only. The results generated are estimates based solely on the data you enter and are not a guarantee of eligibility for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Read our full legal disclaimer here.

Overview: Understanding Your Settlement Timeline

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) is the status that permits you to live, work, and study in the UK without any time limits or immigration restrictions. It is the final step before British Citizenship. However, reaching this goal requires meeting strict criteria, including the continuous residence requirement, the Life in the UK test, and English language proficiency.

Our calculator is a crucial first step, helping you instantly assess the length and legality of your stay. When dealing with the Home Office, certainty is your greatest asset, especially when planning your future in thriving UK cities like London, Birmingham, and Manchester.

The Single Biggest ILR Trap: Dissecting the 180-Day Rolling Rule

The rules on absences from the UK are the primary reason for ILR application refusal. Do not fall into the trap of simply counting your total days out over a five-year period – that methodology is outdated and dangerous.

The Rolling 12-Month Check

The Home Office reviews your travel history on a rolling 12-month basis. This means that for any consecutive 12-month period during your qualification time, you must not have spent more than 180 full days outside the UK.

For example: A trip taken from April 2024 to March 2025 might be perfectly fine, but a trip from September 2024 to August 2025 could be the one that breaches the limit. Our expert audit scrutinises your travel log date-by-date to find these hidden dangers, often saving an applicant from a catastrophic refusal.

The Precision Play: Applying with the 28-Day Early Rule

Getting the timing of your submission wrong, even by a single day, will result in an automatic refusal. The 28-Day Early Rule is a gift from the Home Office, allowing you to submit your application before you officially meet the full continuous residence period.

Calculating Your Earliest Application Date

You are permitted to apply up to 28 calendar days before you complete the required qualifying period (e.g., 5 years or 10 years).

The Formula: Start Date of Qualifying Visa + Required Continuous Period – 28 Days = Earliest Application Date

Using our calculator helps you pinpoint this exact date, ensuring you maintain your lawful immigration status without applying too soon. Remember: while the calculator provides the date, our solicitors confirm that all surrounding requirements – including Life in the UK and English language tests – are secured well in advance.

Route-Specific Settlement: Which Path is Yours?

Indefinite Leave to Remain is not a one-size-fits-all process. Your visa category determines your required continuous period and the evidence you must provide.

ILR for Skilled Workers (formerly Tier 2)

The most common path to settlement, typically requiring 5 years of continuous residence.

  • The Salary Threshold: You must meet the minimum salary requirement relevant to your specific job code and the prevailing rate, which is subject to frequent change.
  • Sponsor Switching: Moving between Skilled Worker sponsors is permitted, but our team ensures all gaps in employment and sponsorship reporting are meticulously documented to maintain the continuity of your lawful presence.
  • Permitted Absences: Absences for work purposes, approved by your sponsor, still count toward the 180-day limit, but we can help document the compelling professional need for these trips.
The 10-Year Long Residence Route

This pathway applies if you have lived in the UK lawfully and continuously for 10 years. This route is notoriously complex due to the volume of history involved and layered rule changes.

  • Rule Transition Complexity: Your absences before 11 April 2024 are judged against the old rules (548 days total), while absences after this date fall under the strict rolling 180-day rule. The calculator provides an initial check, but a full legal audit is non-negotiable for this route.
  • Addressing Lawful Gaps: Time spent overstaying, no matter how brief, can break continuity. Our experts can advise on whether certain minor gaps may be legally “disregarded” by the Home Office.
ILR under Appendix FM (Spouse & Partner Route)

This route typically requires 5 years of residence as a Spouse or Partner of a British Citizen or settled person.

  • The Financial Requirement: This is often the most challenging element. You must meet the minimum income threshold (£29,000 from spring 2024 onwards, subject to change), using documented evidence from Categories A, B, or C. We eliminate any ambiguity in your financial submission.
  • Proving a Genuine Relationship: Settlement requires robust evidence of your “genuine and subsisting” relationship over the entire five-year period – from cohabitation records to shared financial responsibilities.

FAQs: Quick Answers to Key ILR Questions

Yes, it can. If you switch from a visa that leads to settlement (e.g., Skilled Worker) to one that doesn’t count towards the same route (e.g., a short-term visitor visa), your continuous residence period will be broken and effectively reset. Even switching between settlement-track visas requires careful calculation to ensure the time counts correctly.
It means your entire qualifying period (e.g., 5 or 10 years) must be covered by a valid grant of permission to stay in the UK. Any period spent in the UK without a valid visa, or as a visitor, breaks the continuity.
To formally prove your eligibility, you will need a detailed Travel Spreadsheet listing every entry and exit date for the entire qualifying period, alongside all previous and current passports, Biometric Residence Permits (BRP), and all previous grant letters from the Home Office. This meticulous documentation is what our Conroy Baker solicitors prepare for you.

Ready to Secure Your UK Future?

Our calculator gives you the estimated dates. Conroy Baker Ltd. gives you the certainty.

Whether you are a highly-skilled professional in London, an entrepreneur expanding in Birmingham, or a growing family in Manchester, the transition to settlement is too important for guesswork. If the calculator raises a red flag, or if your case involves visa switches, near-maximum absences, or complex financial scenarios, do not proceed alone.

We offer a focused, fixed-fee ILR Continuous Residence Audit to review every date and document, transforming your eligibility estimate into an unassailable application.

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Legal Disclaimer

Important Notice: Use of this Free ILR Calculator
This Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) Calculator is a complimentary online tool provided for informational and preliminary assessment purposes only. The results generated are estimates based solely on the data you enter and are not a guarantee of eligibility for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Conroy Baker Ltd. is not liable for any action taken or not taken based on the results provided by this calculator. Immigration law is complex, highly detailed, and subject to frequent rule changes and subjective interpretation by the Home Office. Factors such as criminal history, character requirements, precise compliance with visa conditions, and complex absence exceptions (e.g., COVID-19 concessions or compulsory service) cannot be accurately assessed by any automated tool.

You must always seek professional, tailored legal advice from a qualified immigration solicitor before submitting any application to the Home Office. By using this tool, you acknowledge this disclaimer and understand that no solicitor-client relationship is created.