How to calculate permanent residence in the UK for 10 years? Continuous residence, break of employment and new regulations in 2026

Last week a reader left a message that made my heart tense.

He came to the UK to study in 2015, with a student visa followed by a work visa. He changed employers twice and never left the country for more than two months. Counting on my fingers this year, 10 years have passed, and I am excitedly preparing to submit Long Residence permanent residence. As a result, I looked through my old passport and discovered that in 2019, there was a period of renewal that was submitted 41 days after the visa expired. The blank space in the middle split the entire decade into two parts.

The cruelest part of the 10-year permanent residence path is here: does not look at how long you have been in the UK, but only how long you have stayed "legally and continuously". is one day away, start all over again.

The latest version of the Ministry of Interior's "Long residence" case review guidelines was updated on August 3, 2026, and the "Continuous residence" guidelines were updated on June 5, 2026. Taking advantage of the growing buzz about the reform of "earning-based permanent residence", we will explain clearly how to calculate this path now.

What are the requirements for 10-year permanent residence in the UK (Long Residence)?

The current rules are in Appendix Long Residence of Immigration Rules. The core are four things:

First, you must have lived legally in the UK for 10 consecutive years, and you must have a valid visa or permit every day during these ten years; second, you must pass Life in the UK Test; third, your English must reach CEFR B1 (listening and speaking); fourth, you must not touch the red line of suitability (character, criminal record, fraud, etc.).

A special reminder: not all visas can count towards these ten years. The time spent holding Visitor (Visit Visa), Short-term Student (English Short-term Student), and Seasonal Worker (Seasonal Worker) does not count; the license under the Appendix Ukraine Scheme also does not count. Statuses such as immigration bail and temporary admission not only do not count, but also directly interrupt the continuity of .

Many people mistakenly believe that "people are saving time in the UK". No. What you save is permission (permission) time, not where your luggage is.

How is 10 years of continuous residence counted for permanent residence? Two sets of rules: 180 days and 548 days

This is the most confusing part after April 11, 2024, because the number of days out of the country is divided into "new and old accounts."

The period of before April 11, 2024: a single departure shall not exceed 184 days, and the total number of departures in this period within a 10-year period shall not exceed 548 days.

👉 The slots ending in before November 24, 2016, if they do not exceed 28 calendar days, may be ignored.

If you have met all the requirements for suitability, ten-year qualification period and continuous residence, and are only missing the English or Life in the UK link , you can first apply for the temporary permit (permission to stay) under the Long Residence path, stay in the UK legally, and then apply for permanent residence after completing the exam.

The value of this gap is that it prevents you from losing your legal status just because of an exam, thus ruining ten years of hard work. Exemptions may apply to those aged 65 and over, or those with medically documented long-term physical or mental conditions, subject to the latest announcement from GOV.UK.

How much will the 10-year permanent residence cost in 2026? Where has the reform of “earn-earning permanent residence” gone?

Let’s talk about money first. From 8 April 2026, the application fee for ILR will be £3,226 per person for . Spouses and children as dependent applicants will also be charged the full amount without family discount. Priority £500 for urgent, Super Priority next day £1,000. permanent residence application does not need to pay IHS medical surcharge . There are also biometric information collection for around £19.20 and Life in the UK exam for £50.

Let’s talk about policy. Home Office’s “Earned Settlement” consultation ended on on February 12, 2026, and received more than 200,000 responses – a number that is quite rare in the history of UK immigration policy consultations. The core of the plan is to extend the standard qualification period for most paths from 5 years to 10 years, make some guaranteed work permits longer, and restructure the permanent residency threshold around the four pillars of "contribution, conduct, integration, and residence."

The Home Secretary has repeatedly reiterated that the reforms will be retroactive, and the implementation details are generally expected to be implemented in the autumn of 2026. However, as of the time of writing this article, the government’s official response to the consultation has not yet been announced, and the detailed rules have not yet been implemented – ’s current 5-year and 10-year permanent residence paths are still fully valid.

For those who have been running on the 10-year path for seven or eight years, the most rational action at the moment is not to read the news, but to check their ten-year timeline day by day to ensure that can be submitted as soon as is qualified. Rule changes often leave a narrow window for "already eligible individuals."