At First Law Solicitors, we provide precise, strategic, and digitally verified legal representation for individuals who have lived lawfully and continuously in the United Kingdom for ten years or longer.
Applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) on the basis of long residence remains one of the most demanding routes in UK immigration law. Every visa, renewal, and period of stay must be lawful, and every day of absence must comply with the Home Office’s 2026 digital residence standards.
Our solicitors ensure that your record is verified, compliant, and strategically positioned ahead of the Earned Settlement reforms expected later this year.
The 10-year lawful residence route, now governed by Appendix Long Residence, recognises individuals who have built their lives, careers, and families in the UK through consistent lawful status.
It remains available in 2026 as a standalone settlement route, allowing applicants to combine different visa categories, such as study, work, or family, toward one continuous 10-year period.
However, the Home Office has signalled that this flexibility may end when the Earned Settlement model becomes law in April 2026, linking long-term settlement to income and contribution metrics rather than simple lawful presence.
Our firm advises clients to act promptly under the current framework while the 10-year rule still permits mixed visa histories.
To qualify for ILR on the basis of long residence, you must meet the following:
Continuous Lawful Residence for Ten Years
Applicants must have lived lawfully in the UK for at least ten consecutive years, with valid immigration permission throughout.
Since April 2024, the Home Office has removed the cumulative 540-day total cap that previously applied. The rule now operates on a rolling 180-day absence limit within any 12-month period.
This means you may travel regularly, provided no single year exceeds 180 days of absence.
Older cases (where the ten-year period was completed before 11 April 2024) remain subject to the former 540-day cumulative cap.
Our solicitors review every travel record under the DUAA 2025 system, identifying potential compliance issues before submission and preparing written explanations for any exceptional absences.
Lawful Permission Throughout
Every period of residence must have been lawful. Even brief overstays can break the chain of continuity unless covered by Section 3C leave or another Home Office-authorised extension.
We conduct a full digital audit of your UKVI record to ensure that all past visas, extensions, and appeals appear correctly in the Home Office database.
English Language and Life in the UK
The current statutory standard remains CEFR Level B1 English proficiency and a valid Life in the UK Test.
Although the proposed 2026 reforms aim to raise the requirement to B2, applicants under the current system remain eligible at B1. Higher levels (B2 or C1) may strengthen your application and could reduce future settlement waiting periods under the Earned Settlement model.
Good Character and Compliance
The Home Office conducts automatic background and compliance checks using DUAA-linked systems, integrating HMRC and DWP data.
This means your tax filings, NI contributions, and declared employment will be cross-referenced with your previous visa categories.
Our solicitors verify that your work history aligns with your lawful permissions, ensuring that your application cannot be flagged for “inconsistent activity” (for instance, full-time work under a student visa).
Digital Identity and eVisa Status
As of 1 January 2026, all long residence applications are made through the UKVI digital account.
Physical Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) are no longer issued. ILR is now stored digitally as an eVisa, accessible through your secure UKVI portal.
The Data Use and Access Act 2025 (DUAA) underpins every modern ILR application.
It allows the Home Office to automatically verify:
At First Law Solicitors, we mirror these DUAA systems in-house.
Before filing, we reconcile your travel and work history against the same data streams used by the Home Office.
All documents are digitally certified using Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES), meeting the 2026 Digital Compliance Standard.
We regularly represent applicants with complex immigration histories, including:
Our strategic legal submissions link your residence history to the discretionary principles in Appendix Continuous Residence, ensuring that the Home Office recognises your overall compliance and contribution to UK society.
The Home Office consultation ending 12 February 2026 proposes integrating long residence into the new Contribution-Based 10-Year Settlement route.
If implemented in April 2026, applicants may lose the ability to count time spent across multiple visa categories or to apply without meeting minimum income thresholds.
We therefore advise clients who have already reached or are about to reach ten lawful years to apply before the April 2026 reform, preserving their eligibility under the current, more flexible framework.
Once ILR is granted, applicants may apply for British citizenship after twelve months, provided they meet the residence and good character criteria.
Our solicitors ensure digital continuity between your ILR record and citizenship application to avoid data mismatches within the UKVI system.
Digital Accuracy and Compliance
We use DUAA-integrated systems to pre-verify every data point before submission, ensuring absolute consistency with Home Office records.
Strategic Legal Oversight
Every long residence ILR case is overseen by a senior solicitor specialising in complex residence law and digital compliance.
Forward-Looking Settlement Planning
We advise clients not only on achieving ILR but on structuring their future status for naturalisation or family sponsorship under the 2026 reforms.
If you have lived lawfully in the United Kingdom for ten years and wish to secure permanent settlement, contact First Law Solicitors today.
Call 0044 161 224 4066
Complete our secure online enquiry form to book a confidential consultation with one of our immigration solicitors.
Copyright © 2025. First Law Solicitors. All Rights Reserved
