UK 10-Year Long Residence ILR Settlement Guide 2026
Practical 2026 guide to 10-Year Long Residence ILR under Appendix Long Residence: combining qualifying immigration routes, excluded visa categories, 180-day absence rules, pre-April-2024 transitional limits, the current-route 12-month requirement, SET(LR), English and Life in the UK.
1. Executive Summary & Combining Visa Routes
The 10-Year Long Residence route allows a person who has lived lawfully and continuously in the UK for 10 years to apply for ILR. Time with permission on most immigration routes can count, including routes such as Student, Graduate, Skilled Worker and Youth Mobility, but specific categories including Visitor, Short-term Student, Seasonal Worker and Ukraine Scheme permission are excluded from the qualifying period.
2. Absence Limit Rules: Pre-April 2024 vs Post-April 2024
The table below outlines absence calculations across transition dates under Appendix Long Residence:
| Residence Period | Absence Limit Rule | Maximum Single Absence Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Absences that started before 11 April 2024 | No more than 548 days in total where the 548-day threshold was reached before 11 April 2024 | No more than 184 days in a single absence where that absence started before 11 April 2024 |
| Current general absence rule | No more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period | Any applicable exceptions in Appendix Continuous Residence must also be considered |
| Current permission granted on or after 11 April 2024 | Normally at least 12 months on the current immigration route before the ILR application | This concerns the current route, not the entire 10-year period |
| Current permission granted before 11 April 2024 | The LR 11.3 12-month current-route requirement does not apply | The other settlement requirements still apply |
3. Lawful Residence vs Overstaying Breaks
Overstaying does not count toward the 10-year qualifying period. Where an overstaying exception applies, the period may be disregarded for the purpose of the breach and may not break continuous residence, but it still does not become qualifying lawful residence. Section 3C leave can preserve lawful status where its statutory conditions are met.
4. Step-by-Step Filing of Form SET(LR) & Current Fee
Prepare evidence supporting the 10-year immigration history and continuous residence, including passports, travel records and Home Office immigration records where available. P60s, university records, tenancy documents and employer evidence can be useful in particular cases, but they are not a universal statutory checklist for every SET(LR) applicant.
Essential Summary & 2026 Checklist
- 10-Year Long Residence permits combining Student, Graduate, Skilled Worker, and other visas.
- For relevant absences that started before 11 April 2024, the transitional limits are 548 days in total where that total was reached before the date, and 184 days for a single absence where that absence started before 11 April 2024.
- The current general rule is no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period, subject to the specified exceptions.
- For current permission granted on or after 11 April 2024, the applicant generally must have held permission on the current immigration route for at least 12 months before applying, subject to the rule and its exceptions.
- Apply online using the long-residence settlement application, normally no more than 28 days before the 10-year qualifying period is completed or once the full period has been completed.
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