After 11 years in the UK, I've finally got my ILR. I wanted to share my experience because most threads here are about the 5-year Skilled Worker route, which is fairly straightforward and carries less than half the burden of proof of a long-residence application. If your case looks different from the usual "I arrived in 2021, how early before my 5 years can I apply?" posts, this is for you.

My situation was the opposite of trying to apply as early as possible. I actually applied much later than the date I first became eligible — and that was a deliberate choice. Not having ILR hadn't stopped me from doing anything in the UK, so I wasn't in a rush. My view: no one can take away what's rightfully yours, so there's no harm in being patient and applying when your paperwork is genuinely watertight.

I also had a Skilled Worker dependent application ready as a backup. There was a delay from my spouse's employer in issuing the supporting letter, so rather than wait, I went ahead with the 10-year route — I'd kept everything lined up for it anyway.

My visa history

ICT (short-term): June 2015 – April 2016
ICT (long-term): August 2016 – August 2019
ICT (long-term): August 2019 – August 2021
Skilled Worker dependant: July 2021 – July 2024
Skilled Worker dependant (extension): July 2024 – July 2027

The gap between my two ICT visas — the bit most people worry about

My main concern was a ~4-month gap between my ICT short-term and ICT long-term visas. If you're in the same boat, here's what I learned:

The gap is allowed. It doesn't break continuous residence, as long as you left the UK with valid leave and returned with valid leave.
It's treated as an absence. So it counts toward your absence totals — you still need to stay within the permitted absence limits (in my period, the 180/184-day type limits applied).
The gap doesn't count toward your 10 years. The days where you held no leave can't be counted as qualifying residence, so your earliest application date effectively moves later — roughly your 10-year anniversary plus the length of that gap.

In my case, the earliest I could have applied was last year. I chose not to, because I was also going to be eligible within six months on the Skilled Worker route, which has a far lighter burden of proof than a 10-year application.

How I handled it in the application

I wrote a cover letter laying out the full visa history and timeline, and I declared my 121-day gap upfront rather than hoping no one noticed. To pre-empt any caseworker who might not be familiar with the legal basis, I included this in my absence letter:

I draw particular attention to my absence of 121 days between XX MMM 2016 and YY MMM 2016, which occurred between my Tier 2 ICT Short-Term and Tier 2 ICT Long-Term visas. As explained in the accompanying letter, this absence does not break continuous residence pursuant to paragraph CR 4.1 (d) (iii) of the Appendix Continuous Residence of the immigration rules as i left the UK when i had valid permission and returned to the UK with a valid permission under the same or different route.

Did I use a solicitor?

No — I did it myself. With tools like Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini, you genuinely don't need a solicitor unless your case is complicated. Save the money and put the effort in yourself. (That said, if your case has real complexity — refusals, criminality, gaps where you held no valid leave on departure or return — get proper advice.)

What I submitted

Cover letter — full visa history and timeline
Absence letter — a summary of all absences, with the 2016 gap explained
Passports — all of them
BRP scans — all
Life in the UK test — pass certificate
English language proof — I'd never needed this on ICT or as a dependant, so I used my degree + an ECCTIS (formerly UK NARIC) certificate confirming it met the requirement
Year-by-year residence proof — council tax, utility bills, bank statements, and HMRC letters where available

Takeaway

If your route is non-standard, don't panic and don't assume you need a solicitor. Understand the continuous-residence and absence rules, declare everything upfront, and let the documents do the talking. Patience over panic — your eligibility doesn't expire just because you wait until your paperwork is solid.

u/lasersuper