Guidance

Calculating continuous lawful period: caseworker guidance

Immigration staff guidance explaining how to calculate the 5 year continuous lawful period in the UK requirement for an applicant.

• From: UK Visas and Immigration
• Published: 28 August 2013
• Last updated: 23 December 2022 — See all updates

Documents

Indefinite leave to remain: calculating continuous period in UK (accessible)

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Indefinite leave to remain: calculating continuous period in UK

PDF, 285 KB, 19 pages

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Details

UK Visas and Immigration guidance for staff dealing with individuals who are applying for settlement in the UK on the following routes:

• domestic workers in private households

• dependants of a tier 1 entrepreneur and tier 1 investor

• tier 1 (entrepreneur)

• tier 1 (investor)

• retired person of independent means

This includes information on:

• deciding if the continuous period is spent lawfully in the UK

• when absences will not break continuity when calculating if the continuous period requirement has been met

• considering time spent overseas during the continuous period of residence

• breaks in the continuous lawful period

• lawful leave which continues whilst absent from the UK

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Published 28 August 2013

Last updated 23 December 2022 + show all updates

1. 23 December 2022

   Added accessible HTML version.

2. 1 December 2020

   Updated the guidance on calculating the 5 year continuous period in the UK.

3. 10 June 2020

   Guidance updated: removal of intra-company transfers provision.

4. 2 March 2020

   Updated guidance.

5. 1 October 2019

   Guidance updated.

6. 29 March 2019

   Updated guidance.

7. 6 July 2018

   Guidance document updated.

8. 24 January 2018

   Updated document.

9. 12 January 2018

   Updated document.

10. 6 April 2017

    Updated guidance.

11. 25 April 2016

    Updated guidance.

12. 22 April 2015

    Updated guidance

13. 28 August 2013

    First published.