You must have lived in the UK for 5 years before you can apply for indefinite leave to remain.
See Also
Visa and immigration informationStandard Visitor Visa UK: Requirements Documents, ApplyHow to Get a UK Tourist Visa in South Africa| Allianz TravelApply for a UK visa in the USAThere are rules for what counts towards the 5 years if you have:
- spent time outside the UK
- had more than one visa
If you’ve spent time outside the UK
You must have spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months.
If you think you’re affected by this rule, the Home Office has guidance about how to calculate your time in the UK (‘continuous residence’).
If you’ve had more than one visa
In the 5 years you’ve lived in the UK, you can include time you’ve had on any combination of the following visas:
- any Tier 1 visa - except Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur)
- Skilled Worker or Tier 2 (General)
- Scale-up Worker
- T2 Minister of Religion or Tier 2 (Minister of Religion)
- International Sportsperson, T2 Sportsperson or Tier 2 (Sportsperson)
- Innovator Founder
- Global Talent
- Representative of an Overseas Business
