ILR Calculator UK
Estimate a typical qualifying-period completion date and a possible application-planning date under paragraph CR 1.1(b). The result is a planning estimate, not an eligibility decision.
Estimate your ILR dates
Estimates your qualifying-period completion date and the earliest date that may fall within the 28-day calculation at CR 1.1(b). It does not decide eligibility.
Worked example: if a five-year qualifying period begins on 15 March 2022, the estimated completion date is 15 March 2027. The possible planning date shown is 15 February 2027. The correct start date, route rules and travel history still require separate checks.
2 Core ILR Planning Tools
A date planner and a full rolling-window absence checker
Built on the Rules
Appendix Skilled Worker, FM, Continuous Residence, Global Talent and Long Residence
Instant Results
No sign-up, no data stored, no email required
Primary-Source Referenced
Every rule linked to GOV.UK and the published Immigration Rules
How the ILR date estimate works
Use the planner in three steps.
Select a route
Choose the route whose typical qualifying period you want to estimate.
Enter a qualifying start date
Use the date allowed by the rules for that route, not automatically your arrival date.
Review the two dates
See the estimated qualifying-period completion and the possible CR 1.1(b) planning date.
This free ILR calculator UK estimates two dates: the end of a typical qualifying period for the selected route and the date 28 days earlier. It does not decide whether you qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain. Your correct start date, permitted route combinations, absences and other requirements must be checked separately.
What the ILR calculator estimates
The calculator adds the typical qualifying period for the selected route to the date entered. It then subtracts 28 calendar days to show a possible application-planning date under paragraph CR 1.1(b) of Appendix Continuous Residence, where that provision applies.
Choose the qualifying start date carefully
The date to enter is not always the date you arrived in the UK. Depending on the route and your immigration history, it may be connected to the date qualifying permission was granted, the date you entered the route or another date allowed by the relevant Immigration Rules. Switching routes can also affect which periods count.
Check the rules for your route before relying on the estimate. If your history includes overstaying, gaps in permission, time on several routes or permission granted while you were outside the UK, obtain case-specific advice.
Typical qualifying periods by route
These periods are a planning overview, not a complete statement of eligibility. Accelerated and transitional provisions can change the period.
| Route selected in this tool | Typical period used | Primary rules to check |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker | 5 years | Appendix Skilled Worker and Appendix Continuous Residence |
| Health and Care Worker | 5 years | Appendix Skilled Worker and Appendix Continuous Residence |
| Partner under Appendix FM | 5 years | Appendix FM |
| Global Talent | 3 or 5 years | Appendix Global Talent |
| Innovator Founder | 3 years | Appendix Innovator Founder |
| UK Ancestry | 5 years | Appendix UK Ancestry and Appendix Continuous Residence |
| Hong Kong BN(O) | 5 years | Appendix Hong Kong British National (Overseas) |
| Long Residence | 10 years | Appendix Long Residence and Appendix Continuous Residence |
Continuous residence and absences
Where paragraph CR 3.1 applies, a person must normally not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any rolling 12-month period. This is not the same as a calendar-year limit or an average. Transitional provisions and permitted reasons for absence can change the calculation.
Home Office guidance normally counts only whole days outside the UK, excluding the departure and return dates. Use the rolling absence calculator to enter complete trips and identify the highest total in each represented 12-month window. The absence tool still cannot decide whether an exception applies.
How the 28-day calculation works
Paragraph CR 1.1 allows the qualifying period to be counted back from the date most beneficial to the applicant, including a date up to 28 days after the application date. This is commonly used to identify a possible application date 28 days before the qualifying period ends.
Requirements this calculator does not check
Settlement depends on more than time in the UK. The applicable requirements can include continuous lawful permission, permitted route combinations, absences, suitability, salary or financial rules, sponsor requirements, English language and Knowledge of Life in the UK.
Use the ILR requirements guide for an overview, then confirm the current rule on GOV.UK. The published fee for indefinite leave to remain is £3,226 per applicant from 8 April 2026, but applicants should check the live fee before paying.
Primary sources
Our editorial and accuracy standards
ILR Calculator UK is an independent, free settlement-planning resource. Every figure, limit and date on this page is taken directly from the published UK Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, with the primary source linked at the point it is used. We review the calculators and content after each Statement of Changes and record the review date at the top of the page.
This site provides general information, not regulated immigration advice. For a binding assessment of your own case, contact an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) or a solicitor listed on the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor register.
Your data stays in your browser. Every ILR calculator UK tool on this site runs entirely client-side. We do not store your dates, visa history or travel records on any server. There is no sign-up wall, no email gate and no charge : just instant answers.