When to apply for ILR and which evidence to prepare

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

Choose the settlement basis

Start with the official ILR route finder ↗. Work and family routes, Global Talent and long residence have different qualifying periods and conditions. Five years physically in the country does not itself establish the appropriate route; the permission held during each period matters.

Build a timeline of visa grants, start and expiry dates, arrivals and absences. Locate earlier decision letters rather than relying only on the latest eVisa. If you changed categories, check separately which periods can be combined for the settlement route selected.

Calculate the permissible application date

For Skilled Worker ILR ↗, the official page allows an application no earlier than 28 days before completing the five-year qualifying period. Applying too early may result in refusal. If your current visa expires before you can apply for ILR, you may need to extend it first.

Do not use a later biometrics appointment to justify submitting an online application prematurely. Check how the qualifying period begins under your particular route, especially if you arrived after the visa was granted. Keep your calculation and the reason for the chosen date, and obtain advice before paying in a borderline case.

Prepare evidence against each requirement

The Skilled Worker application guidance ↗ identifies Life in the UK, salary evidence and an employer confirmation that you remain needed in the job. Add identity documents, immigration history and the evidence requested by your form. A family route has a different checklist involving the relationship, living together and applicable financial records.

Reconcile amounts and dates across employer letters, payslips and bank statements. Obtain required translations for documents not in English or Welsh. Use clear filenames, retain readable copies and keep a separate upload checklist. Do not replace missing evidence with an invented explanation.

Check fees and rules for the application date

At the time checked, the standard Skilled Worker settlement fee is £3,226 per applicant. Budget according to the family members actually applying: not every dependant necessarily qualifies simultaneously. Availability and pricing of an expedited decision are assessed separately for the eligible application.

Check the applicable English and test requirements. Appendix Skilled Worker ↗ already provides for B2 speaking and listening in the relevant settlement applications dated on or after 26 March 2027. That future condition should not automatically be applied to an October 2026 application, but it matters when planning ahead.

After submission, complete identity verification and document uploading within the stated deadlines. Save the form, payment and confirmations. Employment or family changes during consideration may be material: assess whether they must be reported even after the evidence has been accepted.