Who this page is for
- Applicants reaching ILR timing thresholds.
- Sponsors/applicants preparing long-term residence evidence.
- Applicants progressing under partner-route timelines or the long-residence route.
Services / In-Country Progression
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
For applicants moving from temporary leave into permanent UK residence.
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Overview and Rule VersionPartner Route for Initial Visas Before 9 July 2012Evidence, Maintenance and Test RequirementsProcessing, Withdrawal and Critical TimingPartner Route for Initial Visas On or After 9 July 2012After Grant: Status Security and TravelLong Residence and Policy Context
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Overview and Rule Version
Permanent UK residence is called Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
Requirements can change quickly, and applications are decided under the rules and policy in force on the date of application.
For partner-route applicants, the applicable framework depends on when the initial visa application was made, not the date the visa was granted.
Partner Route for Initial Visas Before 9 July 2012
In this framework, spouse and civil-partner cases generally required a full two years of UK residence before ILR application, with normal holidays abroad permitted.
Timing was critical where an entry visa was issued before travel. If arrival was delayed, a full two-year UK residence period could be missed, often forcing a Further Leave to Remain application and an extra fee.
Historic guidance explained that visas could be forward-dated and, from 22 July 2008, many were issued with longer validity to help applicants complete the full residence period without an additional extension.
Children under 18 on the date of application can be included in a qualifying parent's application where route rules permit.
Evidence, Maintenance and Test Requirements
Cohabitation/residence evidence is required for the qualifying period and should include multiple official sources over time.
Historic partner-route guidance commonly required at least six pieces of correspondence from at least three different sources across the qualifying period.
Maintenance and accommodation requirements still apply at ILR stage under the relevant framework, including support without recourse to public funds where required.
Knowledge and language requirements apply. The original guidance referred to passing Life in the UK or an approved ESOL-with-citizenship route depending on assessed English level.
Where mandatory test criteria are not met, ILR may not be approvable and applicants may need to extend leave first under the applicable route.
Processing, Withdrawal and Critical Timing
The original guidance stated that postal ILR processing could take up to 14 weeks and longer in some long-residence cases.
Requesting return of a passport before decision may lead to an application being treated as withdrawn, with fee-loss risk and possible need for a fresh application.
Where a valid in-time application is submitted, leave is ordinarily extended while a decision is pending under continuation-of-leave provisions.
Partner-route ILR timing is strict: applying too early or too late can cause refusal and fee loss even where the rest of the evidence is strong.
The original text highlighted a 28-day pre-expiry timing window in the former two-year partner route and warned of unlawful-stay consequences in late-filed cases.
Partner Route for Initial Visas On or After 9 July 2012
For this framework, partner-route applicants normally need a total of five years of granted leave before ILR eligibility.
The original guidance noted that, from October 2013, applicants needed both Life in the UK and English at B1 Life Skills SELT standard for ILR in this route.
Financial requirements remain relevant at ILR stage under this framework.
Where test criteria are still not met, applicants may continue extending leave until eligible under a long-residence pathway.
After Grant: Status Security and Travel
After ILR grant, long absences from the UK can create status risks, including potential loss after extended absence abroad.
The original guidance advised many applicants to plan citizenship after the qualifying post-ILR period where eligible.
Historic documents often showed an expiry date linked to the passport document, not expiry of ILR status itself.
If status evidence is held on a residence card, it must be carried with the passport during international travel.
Long Residence and Policy Context
ILR may also be available through long-residence pathways, including the 10-year lawful-residence route under the applicable rules.
The original page also contained a legislative policy note on citizenship-framework changes introduced after the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 and the role of Home Office discretion.
For current fee levels and route-specific requirements, check the latest fee and policy pages before submission.
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