Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) is permanent residence in the UK. Most Indian applicants qualify after five continuous years on the Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker or partner route, with no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period, a pass in the Life in the UK test and, on the family route, English at CEFR B1. The fee is £3,226 per person under the Home Office table of 8 October 2026 and the standard decision takes up to six months, though most straightforward work-route applications are decided in two to three.
The compact version with the price card and checklist is on the UK settlement route page. This article explains how the five years and the absences are counted and what to check before you pay a non-refundable fee.
Which routes lead to indefinite leave to remain, and when?
| Route | Qualifying period | Route-specific test at ILR |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker (and earlier Tier 2 General) | 5 years | Sponsor letter confirming continued need; salary at the current threshold or going rate |
| Partner of a British or settled person | 5 years (fiancé(e) time excluded) | £29,000 income or savings alternative again; English at B1; relationship still subsisting |
| Global Talent, Innovator Founder | 3 or 5 years | Route endorsement conditions |
| Long residence | 10 years of any lawful residence | English at B1 |
| Student, Graduate, visitor | Do not count towards 5-year routes | Count only towards the 10-year route |
Time can be combined across qualifying work routes: a worker who moved from Tier 2 General to Skilled Worker in 2021 counts both periods. Time on the Graduate visa after a UK master's counts only towards long residence, which is why most graduates reach settlement five years after switching to Skilled Worker rather than five years after arriving.
How does the 180-day absence rule work?
Continuity is broken by more than 180 days' absence in any 12-month period, counted on a rolling basis for applications under Appendix Continuous Residence. A six-week trip to India every winter is fine; a five-month secondment plus a wedding trip in the same 12 months is not. Absences for work travel count the same as holidays. Only absences for compelling reasons such as serious illness, a natural disaster, or the pandemic travel period are excused, and you must evidence them.
Build the absence schedule before anything else: every trip since the first visa, with dates from passport stamps, boarding passes and the eVisa travel record in your UKVI account. Check every 12-month window, not just calendar years. If one window exceeds 180 days without an excusable reason, the five-year clock restarts from the return date.
Fees and tests
| Item | GBP | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indefinite leave to remain | 3,226 | Per person; not refunded on refusal |
| Life in the UK test | 50 | Book at least three days ahead; keep the unique reference number |
| SELT at B1 (partner and long-residence routes) | Set by the centre | Not needed if B1 or higher was proven on an earlier application |
| Priority service | 500 extra | Decision within 5 working days |
| Super priority service | 1,000 extra | Decision by the end of the next working day |
| British citizenship afterwards | 1,709 | Adult naturalisation including the ceremony |
No health surcharge is payable with a settlement application. The Life in the UK test is required for ages 18 to 64: 24 questions in 45 minutes from the official handbook, 75 percent to pass, results on the day. The pass notification links to your application by its reference number.
The Skilled Worker file
You need a letter from the sponsor confirming the job, that you are still needed, and your current salary, which must meet the current general threshold or the going rate for your occupation code at the date you apply, not the figure that applied when the visa was granted. Three months of pay slips and bank statements corroborate it. The sponsor must still hold a licence. English is not retested because it was proven at the visa stage. Dependants who have completed their own five years apply on the same form; those who have not extend as dependants and apply later.
The partner file
The partner route re-tests the financial requirement (£29,000 or the savings alternative, in Appendix FM-SE format), English at CEFR B1 speaking and listening, the Life in the UK test and whether the relationship is still genuine and subsisting with evidence of cohabitation across the five years. Applicants who cannot meet the income or English requirement fall onto the ten-year route rather than being refused outright. The UK spouse and partner visa guide explains the FM-SE evidence that is tested again here.
How the application runs
- Count the qualifying period and build the absence schedule.
- Pass the Life in the UK test and keep the reference number.
- Obtain the sponsor letter and salary evidence (work routes) or the FM-SE bundle and B1 result (partner route).
- Apply online on form SET(O) for work routes or SET(M) for partners, no earlier than 28 days before the five-year anniversary, and pay £3,226.
- Book a UKVCAS appointment (free slots exist), upload the documents, give biometrics and wait; do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while the application is pending.
Make sure the current visa does not expire before the earliest application date. If it does, extend first and apply for settlement on time.
After settlement
Indefinite leave allows you to live, work and study without restriction and to claim public funds. It lapses after two years' continuous absence from the UK (five years for some older grants), so citizenship is the long-term protection for people who may work abroad. Naturalisation needs 12 months after settlement (none if married to a British citizen), five years' residence with no more than 450 days' absence and 90 days in the last year, good character and the same Life in the UK and B1 evidence. India does not permit dual citizenship, so naturalising means surrendering the Indian passport and applying for an OCI card; the naturalisation absence limits guide explains how the days are counted.
The government consulted in 2025 and 2026 on an earned-settlement model with a longer standard qualifying period. The current rules apply until the Immigration Rules change, so check gov.uk when you approach the five-year mark.
Why are ILR applications refused, and what fixes each reason?
Excess absences. One rolling 12-month window over 180 days without a compelling reason. Recount from the return date and apply when a clean five years exists, or evidence the compelling reason with medical or official records.
Salary or sponsor evidence not met. Salary below the current threshold or going rate, or a letter that did not confirm continued need. Check the going-rates table before applying and obtain a compliant letter.
Applied too early or on the wrong form. More than 28 days before the anniversary, or a form for a different route. Calculate the earliest date from the visa start and use the right form.
Life in the UK or English not met. No pass notification, or B1 missing on the family route. Book the test and the SELT before applying.
Suitability. An undisclosed conviction or fixed penalty, or deception in an earlier application. Disclose everything, including spent and overseas matters, and take advice on timing.
How Vistolane handles it
Settlement files go to a licence-checked, OISC- or SRA-regulated immigration partner on Vistolane who audits the absence schedule and salary evidence before anything is paid. Start with the free eligibility check or the UK settlement route page.
