Free tool · Settlement

ILR calculator

Find the earliest date you can apply for indefinite leave to remain, check your trips against the 180-day rule, and see which path the planned earned settlement rules would put you on.

Step 1

Your route and start date

Which visa are you settling on?

How did you get your first visa on this route? I applied from outside the UK I switched to it inside the UK

Your visa was valid fromThe “valid from” date on your visa sticker (vignette) or eVisa You arrived in the UK onThe day you first entered the UK with that visa

Not sure? Use the date you arrived. Your result will then be on the safe side.

Step 2

Your trips outside the UK

Every trip since your visa started. The days you leave and come back don’t count.

Example trips are filled in so you can see how it works.

Left the UK	Came back	Days	Serious reason

Tick serious reason only for a trip because of a life-threatening illness or the death of a close family member, a natural disaster, war or a pandemic. Those days don’t count, but we recommend a check.

Found something that worries you? A long trip, a gap between visas or a date that doesn’t add up is easier to fix before you apply than after a refusal.

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Earned settlement · proposals, not law yet

Which path would the new system put you on?

Based on the government’s response of 2 November 2026. The Immigration Rules have not changed and there is no start date. Tick what applies to you.

I’m the partner, parent or child of a British citizen I’m on the UK Ancestry route I’m a Hong Kong British National (Overseas) I earned £125,141 or more in 3 of the last 4 years I earned £50,271 or more in 3 of the last 5 years I work in an eligible health or education job I came to the UK as a care worker before May 2025 and earn at least £25,000 I claimed public funds (benefits) in the last 5 years, or I overstayed as an adult

General guide, not advice on your case. Absence rules: Immigration Rules, Appendix Continuous Residence, and the Home Office continuous residence guidance (version 10.0, 8 October 2026), checked 4 November 2026. Earned settlement: government response to the consultation (CP 1707), 2 November 2026. Nothing you enter is saved or sent. What earned settlement means for you →

ILR calculator questions

When can I apply for ILR?

Up to 28 days before you complete your qualifying period. On the routes this calculator covers that period is 5 years. If you apply earlier, your application may be refused, so don’t let your visa run out while you wait.

How is the 180-day rule counted?

On work routes, UK Ancestry and as the partner of a work visa holder, you must not spend more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period. It is counted on a rolling basis, so every 12-month window in your qualifying period counts, not just each visa year.

Do the days I leave and come back count?

No. Only whole days outside the UK count. If you leave on 1 March and come back on 3 March, that is 1 day.

Does the time before I arrived in the UK count?

If you applied from outside the UK, your 5 years start when your visa starts. The days between that date and the day you arrived count as days outside the UK.

Which absences don’t count?

Absences for serious reasons, such as a life-threatening illness or the death of a close family member, or travel disruption from a natural disaster, war or a pandemic. You will need evidence, so get advice before you rely on this.

Is there a 180-day limit on a spouse visa?

Not on the 5-year partner and parent route. There is no fixed day limit, but you must have lived in the UK continuously, and the form asks you to list your trips if you were away 150 days or more in any 12 months.