Indefinite leave to remain:
calculating continuous period in
UK
Version 20.0
Page 1 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
Contents
Contents ..................................................................................................................... 2
About this guidance .................................................................................................... 4
Contacts ................................................................................................................. 4
Publication .............................................................................................................. 4
Changes from last version of this guidance ............................................................ 4
Categories covered by this guidance ......................................................................... 5
Categories where the continuous period is not 5 years .............................................. 6
How to determine if the continuous period is spent lawfully in the UK ....................... 8
Absences which will not break continuity in the continuous period .......................... 10
Period between the issue of entry clearance and entering the UK ....................... 10
Entry to the United Kingdom through Ireland ........................................................ 10
180 whole days absence ...................................................................................... 10
PBS and Appendix W dependant partners ........................................................... 10
Calculating the specified continuous period .......................................................... 11
Transitional Arrangements – rolling 12 month period ........................................... 11
Allowable absences .............................................................................................. 11
Absences linked to reason for being in the UK – evidential requirements ............ 12
Interim caseworker action – missing evidence ..................................................... 13
Absences for serious or compelling reasons – evidential requirements ............... 13
Employment outside of the UK ............................................................................. 13
Absences due to economic or humanitarian crisis ................................................ 13
Absences for research purposes (Tier 2 (General)).............................................. 14
Absences linked to an endorsement (Global Talent and Tier 1 (Exceptional
Talent)) ................................................................................................................. 14
Holidays taken on the conclusion of employment ................................................. 15
Full-time service overseas as a member of HM armed forces reserve..................... 16
Breaks in the continuous lawful period ..................................................................... 17
Breaks of leave in temporary leave applications submitted before 24 November
2016...................................................................................................................... 17
Breaks of leave in temporary leave applications submitted after 24 November
2016...................................................................................................................... 18
Continuation of lawful leave during absences from the UK ...................................... 19
Pre 24 November 2016 ......................................................................................... 19
On or after 24 November 2016 ............................................................................. 19
Breaks of leave and allowable absences .............................................................. 20
Page 2 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
Exceptional cases .................................................................................................... 21
Page 3 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
About this guidance
This guidance tells you how to calculate the 5 year continuous lawful period in the
UK requirement for applicants applying for settlement (indefinite leave to remain). It
also covers accelerated settlement in relevant categories.
Contacts
If you have any questions about the guidance and your line manager or senior
caseworker cannot help you, or you think that the guidance has factual errors, then
email the Economic Migration Policy Team.
Border Force officers can also email BF OAS enquiries.
If you notice any formatting errors in this guidance (broken links, spelling mistakes
and so on), or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the guidance,
then you can email Guidance and forms– making changes.
Publication
Below is information on when this version of the guidance was published:
• version 20.0
• published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
Changes from last version of this guidance
This version:
• adds the Global Talent category to the list of immigration categories covered by
this instruction
• adds an exemption for Global Talent and Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) applicants
in certain sectors who have had absences linked to their endorsement (such as
conducting research overseas)
• adds minor clarifications and corrections
It replaces the Indefinite leave to remain: calculating continuous period in UK
modernised guidance version 19.0 which has been withdrawn and archived.
Related content
Contents
Safeguard and promote child welfare
Page 4 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
Categories covered by this guidance
This section tells you which categories of leave are covered by this guidance.
The following categories are covered by this guidance:
• representative of an overseas business (paragraph 150 of the Immigration
Rules)
• UK ancestry (paragraph 192)
• retired person of independent means (paragraph 269)
• domestic workers in private households (paragraph 159G)
• the following sub-categories of the points-based system:
o Tier 2 (General) (paragraph 245HF)
o Tier 2 (Sportsperson) (paragraph 245HF)
o Tier 2 (Minister of religion) (paragraph 245HG)
o Tier 2 (Intra-company transfers) (ICT) granted under the rules in place
before 6 April 2010 (paragraph 245GF)
o Tier 5 (International agreement) – private servants in diplomatic households
granted entry under rules in place before 6 April 2012 only (paragraph 245
ZS)
• PBS dependent partners (paragraph 319E) and PBS dependent children
(paragraph 319J)
• Appendix W partners (paragraph 319E) and Appendix W children (paragraph
319J)
It covers the following routes which allow accelerated settlement:
• Innovator (Appendix W)
• Global Talent (Appendix W)
• Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) (paragraph 245DF)
• Tier 1 (Investor) (paragraph 245EF)
• Tier 1 (Exceptional talent) (paragraph 245BF)
Related content
Contents
Page 5 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
Categories where the continuous
period is not 5 years
This section tells you which categories need less than the full 5 year period when
calculating continuous lawful leave. The continuous period may be less than 5 years
provided the criteria are met, in the following work categories:
Innovator
(Paragraph W4.5 of appendix W)
Innovator applicants can qualify for indefinite leave to remain after 3 or more years,
depending on their business achievements.
Global Talent
(Paragraph W4.5 of appendix W)
Global Talent applicants can qualify for indefinite leave to remain after:
• 3 years if the last endorsement was given under the “exceptional talent” criteria
for any endorsing body
• 3 years if the last endorsement was given under the “exceptional promise”
criteria for the Royal Society, British Academy or Royal Academy of
Engineering
• 3 years if the last endorsement was given under the UK Research and
Innovation (UKRI) “endorsed funder” fast track criteria
• 5 years if the last endorsement was given under the “exceptional promise”
criteria for Arts Council England or Tech Nation
Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)
(Paragraph 245DF and appendix A, table 6)
Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) applicants may qualify for indefinite leave to remain after 3 or 5
years, depending on their level of business activity.
Tier 1 (Investor)
(Paragraph 245EF and appendix A, table 9).
Applicants may qualify for indefinite leave to remain after 2, 3 or 5 years, depending
on their level of investments.
Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent)
(Paragraph 245BF)
Changes to accelerated settlement were introduced on 20 February 2020 but apply
retrospectively to applicants already in the route.
Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) applicants can qualify for indefinite leave to remain after:
• 3 years if the last endorsement was given under the “exceptional talent” criteria
for any endorsing body
• 3 years if the last endorsement was given under the “exceptional promise”
criteria for the Royal Society, British Academy or Royal Academy of
Engineering
Page 6 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
• 5 years if the last endorsement was given under the “exceptional promise”
criteria for Arts Council England or Tech Nation
Nationality applications
The limits set out in this guidance apply to applications for indefinite leave to remain
(ILR) only. The assessment of absences for nationality applications is different.
Lengthy absences taken during the continuous period for ILR can impact on the
applicant’s ability to meet the residency requirements for nationality. Separate
guidance is available.
Long residence
This guidance does not apply to the continuous period requirement in long residence
cases. See long residence guidance.
Related content
Contents
Page 7 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
How to determine if the continuous
period is spent lawfully in the UK
This section tells you how to decide if the continuous period is spent lawfully in the
UK.
The applicant must not have spent any of their time in the UK without valid leave to
enter or remain.
You must refuse indefinite leave to remain (ILR) if the applicant does not meet the
continuous period requirement set out in the Immigration Rules.
The continuous period requirement is the minimum amount of time which a migrant
must spend in employment or being active in the UK economy before being eligible
to qualify for ILR.
You must assess if the applicant has spent the required minimum time period in the
UK, as well as whether they meet all of the other requirements for ILR set out in the
Immigration Rules.
When you calculate if an applicant has met the continuous period requirement, you
must examine how many days absence from the UK they have accrued.
The applicant must provide reasons for these absences in all categories except
bereaved partner. The majority of applicants are also required to provide evidence of
the absence. Evidence is not required from applicants in the following categories:
• Innovator (Appendix W)
• Global Talent (Appendix W)
• Tier 1 (Investor) (paragraph 245EF)
• Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) (paragraph 245DF)
• Tier 1 (Exceptional talent) (paragraph 245BF)
The Secretary of State retains discretion under the Immigration Act 1971 to grant
leave outside the rules in exceptional cases.
Definition of the UK
For immigration purposes, ‘UK’ means Great Britain and Northern Ireland only.
It does not include the Crown dependencies of the:
• Channel Islands
• Isle of Man
Time spent in the Crown dependencies may count towards the continuous period.
Page 8 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
Details of categories of leave that can be included can be found in the Common
Travel Area guidance. Where the applicant held leave in a category not included,
you must treat any time spent in the Crown dependencies category as an absence
from the UK.
Any time spent working off shore on the UK continental shelf, beyond the 12 mile
zone defined as UK territorial waters, does not count toward the continuous
qualifying period for ILR, for example on ships or oil rigs. You must count this as an
absence from the UK.
Related content
Contents
Breaks in continuous lawful period
Page 9 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
Absences which will not break
continuity in the continuous period
This section tells you when absences will not break continuity when calculating if the
continuous period requirement has been met.
Period between the issue of entry clearance and entering
the UK
The period between entry clearance being issued and the applicant entering the UK
may be counted toward the qualifying period. Any absences between the date of
issue and entry to the UK are considered an allowable absence. This period will
count towards the 180 days allowable absence in the continuous 12-month period.
The applicant does not need to provide evidence to demonstrate the reason for
delayed entry.
If the delay is more than 180 days, you can only include time after the applicant
entered the UK in the continuous period calculation.
Entry to the United Kingdom through Ireland
Applicants who entered through Ireland, and therefore have not passed through
immigration control, cannot demonstrate their date of entry to the UK using their
passport. Alternative evidence to demonstrate this can include, but is not limited to:
• a copy of a travel ticket showing the date of arrival
• independent evidence of activity following entry, such as:
o a letter from an employer stating when the applicant started their
employment in the UK
o a tenancy agreement from a landlord stating when the applicant started
living a UK address
180 whole days absence
No more than 180 days’ absences are allowed in a consecutive 12-month period.
You must only include whole days in this calculation. Part day absences, for
example, less than 24 hours, are not counted. Therefore, if the applicant had a single
absence during the 12 month period and arrived in the UK on day 181, the period
would not exceed 180 days.
PBS and Appendix W dependant partners
You must not include any absence from the UK during periods of leave granted
under the Rules in place before 11 January 2018 towards the 180 days allowable
absences. For example, if a dependant partner’s qualifying period includes initial
Page 10 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
leave granted from 1 February 2015 to 31 January 2018, and an extension granted
from 1 February 2018 to 31 January 2020, you must not count any absences before
1 February 2018.
Dependant children are not subject to limits on absences.
Calculating the specified continuous period
Applicants can submit a settlement application up to 28 days before they would
reach the end of the specified period.
You must calculate the relevant qualifying period by counting backward from
whichever of the following is most beneficial to the applicant:
• the date of application
• the date of decision
• any date up to 28 days after the date of application
UK Ancestry applicants have different requirements covering application dates, see:
UK Ancestry.
Transitional Arrangements – rolling 12 month period
For settlement applications made from 11 January 2018, you must consider
absences from the UK on a rolling basis, rather than in separate consecutive 12-
month periods. If the applicant’s qualifying period includes leave granted before this
date, any absences during that leave will be considered under the previous rules – in
separate 12-month periods ending on the date of application.
For example:
The application date is 30 June 2020. The applicant’s continuous period includes the
following grants of leave:
• one grant of leave from 1 July 2015 to 28 July 2018 – any absences during this
grant of leave will be considered in separate 12-month periods, ending on 30
June each year
• one grant of leave from 29 July 2018 to 30 June 2020 – any absences during
this grant of leave will be considered on a rolling basis: you must not include
any absences from the previous grant of leave when you assess this
Allowable absences
Absences must be for a reason consistent with the original purpose of entry to the
UK, or for a serious or compelling reason, in the following categories:
• representative of an overseas business
• domestic workers in private households
Page 11 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
And in the following sub categories of the points-based system:
• Tier 2 (Intra-company transfer)
• Tier 2 (General)
• Tier 2 (Minister of religion)
• Tier 2 (Sportsperson)
• Tier 5 (Temporary worker – International Agreement) (private servants in
diplomatic households granted under rules in place before 6 April 2012 only)
The applicant must provide evidence as explained below.
For the categories below, there is no requirement to give a reason for absences if
they do not exceed 180 days in a consecutive 12 month period:
• Innovator
• Tier 1 (Exceptional talent)
• Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)
• Tier 1 (Investor)
• UK ancestry
• Retired person of independent means
• Points-Based System dependants
• Appendix W dependants
Absences linked to reason for being in the UK – evidential
requirements
For all other categories, absences must be consistent with, or connected to, the
applicant’s sponsored or permitted employment or the permitted economic activity
being carried out in the UK - for example, business trips or short secondments.
This also includes any paid annual leave which must be assessed on a case by case
basis and should be in line with UK annual leave entitlement for settled workers. For
example, the statutory leave entitlement is 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday each year, which
for workers who work a 5 day week is 28 days’ paid leave. However, many
employers provide 25 or 30 days’ paid leave a year, plus bank holidays.
Short visits outside the UK on weekends or other non-working days are consistent
with the basis of stay and do not break the continuity of leave. You must count such
absences towards the 180 day limit.
Evidence in the form of a letter from the employer which sets out the reasons for the
absences, including annual leave, must be provided. Where short visits outside the
UK, on weekends or other non-working days have taken place, evidence from the
employer should be provided to confirm the applicant’s normal working pattern and
show the absences occurred during a non-working period.
However, time spent away from the UK for extended periods, particularly if the
business no longer exists, should not be allowed.
Page 12 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
Interim caseworker action – missing evidence
If an applicant is required to provide specified documents from their employer
explaining their absences and fails to do this, and the absences do not exceed 30
working days plus statutory public holidays per annum (for example, such absences
are likely to be consistent with paid annual leave), you can choose, having regard to
all the circumstances of the case, to consider the application without this
documentation.
You still need evidence where the absences in a 12 month period (as defined above)
exceed 30 working days plus statutory public holidays.
Absences for serious or compelling reasons – evidential
requirements
Serious or compelling reasons will vary but can include:
• serious illness of the applicant or a close relative
• a conflict
• a natural disaster, for example, volcanic eruption or tsunami
The applicant must provide evidence in the form of a letter which sets out the reason
for the absence with documents of support. For example:
• medical certificates
• birth or death certificates
• evidence of disruption to travel arrangements
Employment outside of the UK
If the absences are connected to other employment outside the UK, which
demonstrates the UK employment is secondary, these are not permitted absences,
and the continuous period requirement is broken. Absences due to employment,
whether related to the applicant’s job in the UK or not, count towards the 180 day
maximum each year.
Absences due to economic or humanitarian crisis
On 11 January 2018 the Immigration Rules were amended to discount any absences
from the UK from counting towards the 180 day limit, where the absence was due to
the applicant assisting with a national or international economic or humanitarian
crisis, such as the Ebola crisis which began in West Africa in 2014.
This covers all Tier 1, Tier 2 and Appendix W applicants. ILR applicants should
provide evidence from their sponsor (if applicable), employer or similar organisation
to confirm that the absence was related to a crisis.
Page 13 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
Absences for research purposes (Tier 2 (General))
Absences from the UK do not count towards the 180-day limit where a Tier 2
(General) applicant is sponsored to work in a PhD level occupation and their
absence is linked to research purposes.
PhD level occupations are those listed in Table 1 of Appendix J to the Immigration
Rules.
The research absence must be linked to the reason for their Tier 2 sponsorship and
must have been agreed by their Sponsor. These details must be confirmed in writing
by their Sponsor as part of the ILR application.
The exemption also extends to the Tier 2 Migrant’s PBS dependant partner, so if the
main applicant’s period of absence meets the above requirements, any matching
absence for their partner would also be exempt.
To ensure PBS dependant partners are treated consistently, where the Tier 2 main
applicant has obtained settlement (ILR) or citizenship, but their dependant partner is
still on limited leave to remain, the exemption will continue to apply. The main
applicant must have remained working in an occupation that would qualify as a PhD
level occupation under Tier 2 (General) and the settled migrant’s employer must
confirm that the absence was for research purposes.
Absences linked to an endorsement (Global Talent and
Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent))
Applicants with leave as a Global Talent or Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) migrant can
have absences from the UK which do count towards the 180-day limit if all of the
following apply:
• their endorsement was given by the Royal Society, British Academy, Royal
Academy of Engineering or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
• the purpose of the absence was linked to their grant of leave (such as a
scientist undertaking research overseas)
• the absence occurred while they held leave as either a Global Talent or Tier 1
(Exceptional Talent) migrant
Applicants are not requested to provide specific evidence to demonstrate that the
absence was for reasons linked to their endorsement, however if you have concerns
you may request further details from the applicant such as a letter from their
employing/hosting organisation confirming the reasons for the absence.
This rule was introduced at the same time as the Global Talent category on 20
February 2020, but also applies retrospectively to relevant Tier 1 (Exceptional
Talent) migrants who apply for settlement on or after that date.
Page 14 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
The exemption also extends to a Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) or Global Talent
migrant’s PBS dependant partner, so if the main applicant’s period of absence meets
the above requirements, any matching absence for their partner would also be
exempt.
To ensure dependant partners are treated consistently, where the Tier 1
(Exceptional Talent) or Global Talent main applicant has obtained settlement (ILR) or
citizenship, but their dependant partner is still on limited leave to remain, the
exemption will continue to apply.
Holidays taken on the conclusion of employment
Where an applicant’s continuous residence period includes time spent as a Tier 2
migrant or a work permit holder, annual leave can include a short holiday taken on
conclusion of employment, if the applicant made a successful immigration
application to work for a new employer.
Related content
Contents
Page 15 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
Full-time service overseas as a
member of HM armed forces reserve
This section tells you how to consider time spent overseas during the continuous
period of residence, as a member of Her Majesty’s (HM) armed forces reserve.
Under Section 4(1) of the Reserve Forces Act 1996, non-Economic European Area
(EEA) national members of the following reserve forces of HM armed forces may be
enlisted to serve overseas in the:
• Royal Fleet reserve, Royal Naval reserve, Royal Marines reserve
• Army reserve, Territorial Army
• Air Force reserve, Royal Auxiliary Air Force
The enlistments concerned are permanent, full-time service that lasts for about 9
months and include a period of pre-operation training overseas.
The Reserve Forces (Safeguard of Employment) Act 1985 requires that, where the
reservist is in civilian employment:
• Before service the employer consents to the deployment
• The reservist is re-employed after service by the same employer
Under the Armed Forces Covenant, no member of HM armed forces is to be
disadvantaged because of their service.
This means any periods of permanent, full time reserve service must be disregarded
and treated as though it had been spent in their relevant employment, for the
purpose of calculating the continuous residence period for indefinite leave to remain
(ILR), on any of the work-related routes.
The applicant must provide evidence in the form of a letter from the:
• armed force concerned, which confirms the deployment and the dates
• employer, which confirms the applicant’s release for reserve service and their
date of re-employment
Related content
Contents
Page 16 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
Breaks in the continuous lawful period
This section tells you about breaks in the continuous lawful period.
The continuous period in the UK must be lawful. This means the applicant must have
spent the qualifying period here continuously with leave to enter or remain and must
not have breached their leave conditions. An example of this would include by taking
employment other than that permitted by their work permit or certificate of
sponsorship.
You can only disregard breaks in the period of lawful residence in certain
circumstances.
A break in the continuous period may occur just before the ILR application is made
or at any point where leave expired during the continuous period claimed. The
relevant rules you must apply depend on the Immigration Rules in place at the time
the break occurred.
In most cases, a period of overstaying will already have been considered and
accepted by the caseworker who handled the previous leave to remain applications
and so you must not reconsider this. If the migrant’s leave expired and was then
followed by a subsequent grant of entry clearance, the reasons for the delay will not
have been assessed, as this was not relevant to the entry clearance decision. How
to consider this is covered in more detail later in this guidance.
Breaks of leave in temporary leave applications submitted
before 24 November 2016
During this period, the Immigration Rules allowed you to disregard a period of
overstaying of up to 28 days before the application was made which led to the next
grant of leave.
The 28 day period of overstaying is calculated from the latest of the:
• end of the last period of leave to enter or remain was granted
• end of any extension of leave under sections 3C or 3D of the Immigration Act
1971
• point a migrant is deemed to have received a written notice of invalidity, in line
with paragraph 34C or 34CA of the Immigration Rules, in relation to an in-time
application for leave to remain
In the following exceptional circumstances you can disregard applications made
more than 28 days after the expiry of leave:
• serious illness where the migrant or their representative are unable to submit
the application in time. This must be supported by appropriate medical
documentation
Page 17 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
• travel or postal delays which mean the migrant or their representative are
unable to submit the application in time
• inability to provide necessary documents. This only applies to exceptional or
unavoidable circumstances beyond the migrant’s control, for example:
o the Home Office being at fault in the loss of, or delay in returning, travel
documents
o delay in obtaining replacement documents following loss as a result of theft,
fire or flood. These must be supported by evidence of the date of loss and
the date replacement documents were sought
For ILR, you must disregard any period spent in the consideration of applications for
leave to remain where the application was made (not decided) no more than 28 days
after the expiry of leave, but before 24 November 2016.
Breaks of leave in temporary leave applications submitted
after 24 November 2016
Applications submitted after this date may have a period of overstaying disregarded
if the application is made:
• within 14 days of the applicant’s previous leave expiring and there is a good
reason beyond their or their representative’s control, provided in or with the
application, why the application could not be made in time
• within 14 days of:
o the refusal of the previous application for leave
o the expiry of any leave which has been extended by section 3C of the
Immigration Act 1971
o the expiry of the time-limit for making an in-time application for administrative
review or appeal (where applicable)
o any administrative review or appeal being concluded, withdrawn or
abandoned or lapsing
If there are good reasons beyond the applicant’s control which prevented them
from applying in time, they must submit evidence of these with their application.
All cases must be decided on their merits.
There is further information in the overstayer guidance.
Related content
Contents
Page 18 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
Continuation of lawful leave during
absences from the UK
This section tells you about lawful leave which continues whilst absent from the UK.
The continuous period is only maintained in certain circumstances. The relevant
rules you must apply depend on the Immigration Rules in place at the time the break
occurred.
Pre 24 November 2016
The continuous period is maintained if the applicant either:
• leaves the UK with or without valid leave, but applies for new entry clearance
within 28 days of their leave expiry date, is granted and re-enters the UK using
that entry clearance
• leaves the UK with valid leave and re-enters the UK whilst that leave remains
valid
If the applicant’s leave expires whilst they are outside the UK and they apply for new
entry clearance more than 28 days after their previous leave expires, the continuous
period is broken and leave is not aggregated.
On or after 24 November 2016
The continuous period is maintained if the applicant either:
• leaves the UK with valid leave, applies for entry clearance before their leave
expires, is granted and re-enters the UK using that entry clearance
• applies for new entry clearance within 14 days of their leave expiry date, one of
the circumstances below applies, their application is granted and they re-enter
the UK using that entry clearance
The circumstances are that:
• there was a good reason beyond the control of the applicant or their
representative why the application could not be made in time
• the application was made following the refusal of an in-time application and
within 14 days of:
o the refusal of the previous in-time application
o the expiry of any leave extended by section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971
(please note that 3C leave lapses when an applicant leaves the UK)
o the expiry of the time-limit for making an in-time application for administrative
application for administrative review or appeal (where applicable)
o any administrative review or appeal being concluded, withdrawn, abandoned
or lapsing
Page 19 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
Where an applicant has had a break in their leave while outside of the UK, the entry
clearance officer is unlikely to have considered the reason, as any break would be
irrelevant to the entry clearance application. As a result, you must consider the
reason as part of the ILR application. The SET(O) form requests that migrants
provide evidence demonstrating why previous applications were submitted while
they did not have valid leave. Each break must be decided on its merits. There is
further information on this type of consideration in the overstayer guidance.
If an applicant’s leave expires whilst they are outside the UK and they apply for new
entry clearance more than 14 days after their previous leave expires, for any reason,
the continuous period is broken and leave is not aggregated. The continuous period
would also be broken where the gap is within 14 days, but you do not consider the
reasons provided to be sufficiently compelling.
Breaks of leave and allowable absences
For any acceptable breaks of leave, the period spent outside of the UK will count
towards the 180 days allowable absence. This includes any time:
• while their leave remains valid
• after the expiry of their leave
• while the entry clearance application was under consideration
• before they entered the UK once entry clearance had been granted
Related content
Contents
Page 20 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
Exceptional cases
This section tells you about the exceptional circumstances when you can grant the
applicant indefinite leave to remain (ILR) when their continuous leave is broken.
Absences of more than 180 days in a 12-month period before the date of application
(in all categories) will mean the continuous period has been broken, unless an
exemption applies. However, you may consider a grant of ILR if the applicant
provides evidence to show the excessive absence was due to serious or compelling
reasons.
Serious or compelling reasons will vary but can include:
• serious illness of the applicant or a close relative
• a conflict
• a natural disaster, for example, volcanic eruption or tsunami
The applicant must provide evidence in the form of a letter which sets out full details
of the compelling reason for the absence and supporting documents, for example
medical certificates or evidence of disruption to travel arrangements.
Absences of more than 180 days in any 12-month period for employment or
economic activity reasons are not considered exceptional.
You can only apply discretion when it has been authorised at senior executive officer
level.
Time spent overseas due to pregnancy, maternity, paternity, parental leave,
adoption-related leave or illness is treated the same way as any other absence, that
is, within the 180 days in any 12 months.
If someone is exempt from immigration control, they cannot by definition be in the
UK unlawfully. Therefore, if an applicant has for a period of time while in the UK held
exempt status, that period is lawful.
If a requirement for ILR is that an applicant must have held lawful residence in the
UK that includes time spent in the UK with exempt status. Exempt status is not a
grant of leave, so where the rules specifically require leave to be held, that
requirement will not be met by an applicant having exempt status.
Deemed leave granted for a period of 90 days under Section 8A(b) of the
Immigration Act (1971), from the day the applicant stops being exempt, can be
counted towards the continuous period for ILR.
If the rules say the applicant must hold a specific category of leave, only time spent
in this category will count towards the continuous period for ILR.
Page 21 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
If you are satisfied that the circumstances are sufficiently compelling to approve, the
type of leave granted will depend on the category the applicant is applying under:
• Innovator and Global Talent migrants would be granted indefinite leave to
remain under paragraph W4.6(c) of the Immigration Rules
• all other migrants would be exceptionally granted indefinite leave to remain
outside of the Immigration Rules
Related content
Contents
Page 22 of 22 Published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2020
