Guidance

Continuous residence: caseworker guidance

Immigration staff guidance on assessing and calculating the requirements under Appendix Continuous Residence.

Documents

Continuous residence guidance

Details

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) guidance on how staff assess the continuous residence requirements for applications for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) in the UK under the routes where Appendix Continuous Residence applies.

Updates to this page

Published 19 February 2021
Last updated 29 July 2025 show all updates
  1. Names of the routes to settlement have been updated. Crown Dependencies section has been updated to reflect that time spent in the Crown Dependencies (on particular grants of permission) counts towards continuous residence for Long Residence applicants.

  2. Updated to remove reference to biometric residence permits.

  3. Updated guidance to clarify the transitional arrangements for applicants under Appendix HM Armed Forces and to apply Appendix Continuous Residence to Appendix ECAA Settlement.

  4. Updated to clarify the transitional arrangements for applicants under Appendix Long Residence.

  5. Added guidance for Long Residence and HM Armed Forces (settlement as a partner or child) routes.

  6. Updated guidance to include applications under Appendix Family Settlement and Appendix Private Life.

  7. Updated Continuous Residence document.

  8. First published.

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