ILR Application Help

Hi everyone,

I apologize if this topic has been discussed before.

My partner is on the 5-year route, and the last 2.5 years will be completed next year, meaning we will be applying for ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain).

Everything has been going smoothly, but our tenancy agreement ends on 06/07/2024. We have decided to move to a rolling contract as we search for house.

Our landlady has informed us that the current agreement will simply lapse, and we won’t receive a new contract to indicate the transition to a rolling contract.

My concern is whether this arrangement will be accepted when we apply for ILR. I have requested a new contract stating the rolling status and, upon our departure, a letter confirming our residency dates.

Would this be acceptable?

Please advise.

Thank you.

My concern is whether this arrangement will be accepted when we apply for ILR.

Yes. There is no law that says you must have a new signed tenancy agreement each time the last one runs out.

I have requested a new contract stating the rolling status and,

You are contradicting yourself here. You cannot ask for a contract to state a rolling month status. Rolling month simply extends the tenancy agreements existing conditions but with no fixed start and end date.

upon our departure, a letter confirming our residency dates.

This is not required.

Would this be acceptable?

You are overthinking.

You are required to provide a selection of evidence proving cohabitation in both your names. Plan accordingly.

CR001 wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 13, 2024 8:40 am

My concern is whether this arrangement will be accepted when we apply for ILR.

Yes. There is no law that says you must have a new signed tenancy agreement each time the last one runs out.

I have requested a new contract stating the rolling status and,

You are contradicting yourself here. You cannot ask for a contract to state a rolling month status. Rolling month simply extends the tenancy agreements existing conditions but with no fixed start and end date.

upon our departure, a letter confirming our residency dates.

This is not required.

Would this be acceptable?

You are overthinking.

You are required to provide a selection of evidence proving cohabitation in both your names. Plan accordingly.

Sure - thank you for this.
It makes sense - we will have bills etc. to prove where we were living anyway but I was just under the impression that it would be an issue if we have no contract/written confirmation of staying at the flat when out of contract.

That's not an issue at all.

Many immigrants are or have lived on rolling basis tenancies and it doesn't have any impact on immigration applications, etc.

When moving to a different place/council, you must register with the dates you started living in the new place, etc. Don't need anything from a previous landlord.

Thank you, everyone.

I'm a bit confused because in the previous two applications, we were required to submit tenancy agreements along with bills addressed to us.

Our current contract expires on July 6th, so we won't have an active agreement after that date. My question is, if we purchase a house or move to a new rental, will the application still require us to have a tenancy agreement for the period between July 6th and when we move into the new place?

Sorry if I am thinking about it too much but I know that proof of living together is a huge requirement and we don't want to have issues at the last hurdle (ILR application)

There is no period. For proof of adequate accommodation you need:

The applicant should provide evidence as to the basis on which the accommodation
is or will be owned or occupied (including rented) by the family unit. This may for
example be in the form of a copy of the property deeds, a letter from a bank or
building society as to the mortgage arrangements, a lease agreement and rent book,
or a letter from a family member or friend who is making the accommodation
available to the applicant and their family unit.

For cohabitation evidence: All you need to know about cohabitation evidence

zimba wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 19, 2024 1:47 pm

There is no period. For proof of adequate accommodation you need:

The applicant should provide evidence as to the basis on which the accommodation
is or will be owned or occupied (including rented) by the family unit. This may for
example be in the form of a copy of the property deeds, a letter from a bank or
building society as to the mortgage arrangements, a lease agreement and rent book,
or a letter from a family member or friend who is making the accommodation
available to the applicant and their family unit.

For cohabitation evidence: All you need to know about cohabitation evidence

aha I see, thanks for this. I will give that a read.
Just wanted to make sure as it is better to know now than come August next year and panic

Hi,

Sorry if this topic already exists or is in the wrong place.

My husband is currently on the 5 year spouse route and the final 2.5 years are up next September (2025).
So he has just over 12 months to go.
Is he ok to do the Life in the UK test now? Will it expire?

Thanks
S

It doesn't expire. He can do it at any time.

Update: he just took it and passed but there’s a slight issue.

His first name and surname have been swapped…
We did call the helpline and they said it shouldn’t be an issue when he comes to apply next summer.

I just wanted some opinions on this. Do you think it will cause any issues or is it best to write a covering letter with the application to explain the swapping of the names?

Thanks
S

Selina001 wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 25, 2024 3:44 pm

Update: he just took it and passed but there’s a slight issue.

His first name and surname have been swapped…
We did call the helpline and they said it shouldn’t be an issue when he comes to apply next summer.

I just wanted some opinions on this. Do you think it will cause any issues or is it best to write a covering letter with the application to explain the swapping of the names?

Thanks
S

A cover letter suffices.

AmazonianX wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 26, 2024 12:28 am

Selina001 wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 25, 2024 3:44 pm

Update: he just took it and passed but there’s a slight issue.

His first name and surname have been swapped…
We did call the helpline and they said it shouldn’t be an issue when he comes to apply next summer.

I just wanted some opinions on this. Do you think it will cause any issues or is it best to write a covering letter with the application to explain the swapping of the names?

Thanks
S

A cover letter suffices.

Thanks, that is ok then.

I read somewhere that he should take the test again but then some people are saying send the cover letter. Thank you for this advice.
We won't be applying until next August.

What "some people" are saying are just approaches one can take, for example if there's absolutely no proof of it being taken previously it's easier just to take it again. Trying to get help from UKVI is time consuming and probably fruitless.

alterhase58 wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 26, 2024 8:35 am

What "some people" are saying are just approaches one can take, for example if there's absolutely no proof of it being taken previously it's easier just to take it again. Trying to get help from UKVI is time consuming and probably fruitless.

Yes , there IS proof in this instance. He took it - was allowed to sit it; the test centre checked his ID etc

It’s just that the first name/surname has been swapped.

So I think as AmazonianX said, the cover letter should be ok I hope.

Hi there,

Apologies if this has already been addressed.

My husband’s final 2.5 years on a spouse visa will end this September, and he will be applying for ILR at that time.

When we initially applied, the minimum income requirement was around £18,600. Will we need to meet that same threshold, or will the new financial criteria apply? Additionally, does the same rule apply to savings if I am unemployed at the time of application?

Lastly, can I be on a contract role when providing proof of employment or do I need to be in a permanent role?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Best regards,
S

The new rules do not apply as he entered the route before the rules changes. The requirement is that the cash saving must be above (min salary threshold + £16000) for ILR so £18600 + £16000 = £34,600 minimum savings held for at least 6 months

All that matters for employment is whether it is a salaried role or a non-salaried role which determines how the annual income is calculated. Contract or permanent does not matter

Read the official guide: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... rement.pdf

zimba wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 11, 2025 2:48 pm

The new rules do not apply as he entered the route before the rules changes. The requirement is that the cash saving must be above (min salary threshold + £16000) for ILR so £18600 + £16000 = £34,600 minimum savings held for at least 6 months

All that matters for employment is whether it is a salaried role or a non-salaried role which determines how the annual income is calculated. Contract or permanent does not matter

Read the official guide: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... rement.pdf

This is great, thank you so much. The salary would be around £35k on a 12 month contract, would that suffice?

Sorry one more question that has popped to mind, do I need to have been employed for at least 6 months prior to applying? The reason I ask is that usually I submit 6 months' play slips.

You need to have been employed by the same employer for 6 months to apply under category A. Please read the guide. These are all explained.

Hi all,

Just needed a bit of guidance as the time as almost come to apply for my partners ILR (he is on the 5-year route)
Also, I think I may have asked a few of these before but cannot find the posts.

1. His current visa is set to expire on 29 September 2025. He was initially granted his first visa on 18 September 2020, with a second extension approved on 23 March 2023. I understand that the full 60-month period must be completed before applying for indefinite leave, which would suggest the earliest application date is 18 September 2025. However, the guidance seems a bit unclear—some sources indicate the application can be submitted from 1 September 2025, as the current visa is valid until 29th September. Can someone clarify when we can apply?

2. I am currently in a rolling contract with our landlord since July 2024. We were in contracts with her prior to that. For this application, would I need a letter from her or are bills in both our names enough to prove we have been living together since the last 2.5 years – and would it be from the last date the visa was granted, i.e. 23rd March 2023?

3. I have been in continuous employment over the last 6 months but changed jobs in April 2025, there was no gap between the two. Can I submit a combination of pay slips and a letter from my current employer? I have had over 35k savings I my account for over 6 months as well.

4. I am in a 1-year , fixed term contract which ends in April 2026, will this be ok?

5. On the life in the UK test, his name got swapped around so it reads ‘surname, first name’ – would this be an issue or are the H/O only interested in the reference number? He sat the test, his ID was checked, I guess this is just an admin error. We can provide a letter if needed, would this be needed?

Thanks
Selina

Thank you for adding my previous posts.

I am still a bit confused on the application timelines and when we can apply.

You can apply within 28 days before reaching 60 months on a spouse visa counted from date of entry to the uk.

CR001 wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 11, 2025 3:33 pm

You can apply within 28 days before reaching 60 months on a spouse visa counted from date of entry to the uk.

Thank you very much for your response.
Yes, that does make sense overall. However, I’m a bit confused about one detail.
The current visa expiry date is listed as 29th September 2025, but the spouse visa (5-year route) was originally granted on 18th September 2020 . That would mean the 60-month period ends on 18th September 2025, and based on that, we should be eligible to apply from 21st August 2025 (28 days before)

So, my question is: when calculating the earliest application date, should we go by the original grant date or the current expiry date?

As a note, he was on a student visa before that which is irrelevant as the 60 months applies from when he was granted the spouse visa.

Visa expiry date has no relevance at all. The date you apply also does not determine ILR eligibility.
21st August 2025 is the earliest date the ILR can be granted.

You may apply even earlier as long as the date of ILR decision is on or after that date

More info: Applicants can benefit from the date of the ILR decision

zimba wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 11, 2025 3:51 pm

Visa expiry date has no relevance at all. The date you apply also does not determine ILR eligibility.
21st August 2025 is the earliest date the ILR can be granted.

You may apply even earlier as long as the date of ILR decision is on or after that date

More info: Applicants can benefit from the date of the ILR decision

Thanks so much for your help.

We are still confused by a few things:

We will apply on 5th September as that makes it easy for us to gather all the documents etc

1. When we apply on the 5th, obviously the biometric appointment will be after that date so in terms of the letter from my Employer, can it be dated 13th August? I think what I mean is, is the date of application when you submit online or when my husband goes to the biometrics appointment?
I dont want the letter dated too soon.

2. The tenancy agreement ended last July… since then we are rolling month by month and there is no tenancy agreement.
I am just curious as to why a letter from my landlord isnt required to say we are her tenants since our old tenancy ended. Are bills enough?

3. Last visa was given in March 2023, so the documents we submit e.g bills etc would they be from that day to present?

4. For this ILR application, we are submitting my employment details, is that still ok? As this is the ILR for my husband, not the extension.


Thanks and sorry to ask a lot.
Selina

1. The only date that matters is the date of the application. The letter can be up to 28 day from that date

2,3. There is a proof of adequate accommodation:

The applicant should provide evidence as to the basis on which the accommodation
is or will be owned or occupied (including rented) by the family unit. This may for
example be in the form of a copy of the property deeds, a letter from a bank or
building society as to the mortgage arrangements, a lease agreement and rent book,
or a letter from a family member or friend who is making the accommodation
available to the applicant and their family unit.

Read the official guide: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... dation.pdf

You also need cohabitation evidence.
Read: All you need to know about cohabitation evidence

4. Yes. The evidence can be from either of you