When can you apply for ILR? Earliest date calculator
Enter the start of your continuous qualifying period and your route to see when you complete it — and the earliest date you could apply for indefinite leave to remain under the 28-day rule.
Usually the day your qualifying visa/leave began, or the start of the continuous period your route counts.
What is the earliest date you can apply for ILR?
For most routes to settlement, you can submit your ILR application up to 28 days before you complete your qualifying period — commonly called the “28-day rule”. This calculator adds your qualifying years to your start date to find your completion date, then subtracts 28 days to estimate the earliest application date.
The 28 days is the maximum you can apply early. Applying any earlier than that — or before you have actually met the continuous residence requirement — risks a refusal, and the Home Office does not refund the application fee if you are refused for applying too soon.
Qualifying periods and continuous residence
Different routes have different qualifying periods: five years for the Skilled Worker and most partner routes, three years for some Global Talent and Innovator Founder cases, and ten years for long residence. On top of the time requirement, you must keep within the continuous residence rules — generally no more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period.
This tool is an estimate to help you plan, not immigration advice. Always confirm the current rules for your specific route on GOV.UK or with a regulated OISC adviser or immigration solicitor before you apply.