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Hi, I have ILR (following 5 years skilled worker visa) and am planning to apply for citizenship after 1 year of ILR (I'm not married to a British citizen). I have 3 questions:

1. I was granted ILR on 7 November 2024 (the date I received the email from Home Office Atlas). Does that mean I can apply for citizenship on 7 November 2025, or does it need to be 8 November 2025?

2. It is possible I will be travelling abroad around then. Do I need to be physically present in the UK on the day I submit my online application, or am I fine to be abroad (I will of course return to the UK shortly after and do my biometrics appointment)?

3. I will have been outside the UK (on the date I submit my application) for about 80 days in the previous 12 month period. But on that trip, I will potentially go over the 90 days, but that will only happen after I have submitted the application. Will that cause any concerns for my application?

Many thanks in advance.

1. 7th November is fine.

2. You should apply once you have returned. You need to list all your absence in the form and won't be able to do that accurately if you are abroad.

3. The absence in 12 months is immediately preceding yhe date of applicaiton. You need to apply once you have returned. Absence of up to 101 days usually disregarded. Plan accordingly.

Many thanks CR001, much appreciated.

One follow up question: I have just realised I was actually abroad on 7 November 2020 (i.e. exactly 5 years before the date I was planning on applying). I arrived back in to the UK on 9 November 2020 at 6:30pm. Does that mean I need to wait until 10 November 2025 to apply?

Yes, you have to wait until you meet the physically present at the start of the qualifying period.

Thanks CR001.

So just to confirm, that means the earliest date I can apply is 10 November 2025, or 9 November 2025? I was physically present for part of the day on 9 November 2020, but I don't know if the Home Office requires you to be physically present for the whole day at the start of the qualifying period.

The reason that is relevant, is that I want to submit the application on the earliest possible date, and then leave the UK the very next day for the short trip (to a wedding).

9 November 2025 is fine, the qualifying period for that date will begin on the 10 Nov 2020.

Do remember that dates of travel don't count as absences so your total absences could be just under 90 days. If they aren't, up to 100 days of absence in the last 12 months are usually disregarded and more than 100 require you to ask for discretion (and submit further documents). Are your overall absences under the 450 days limit in the 5 years of the qualifying period?

Thanks very much contorted_svy. I hadn't realised that the dates of travel don't count as absences (that will take me to about 60 days outside the UK in the 12 months prior to applying). That's really helpful (and yes, my overall absences are well under the 450 days limit in the 5 years of the qualifying period).

In that case, couldn't the qualifying period start on 9 November 2020 (i.e. the day I arrived back into the UK), and therefore the earliest date I could apply would be 8 November 2025?

Just in case helpful, the relevant dates are:

• 25 Oct 2019: Skilled worker visa granted, and I was already in the UK (transfer from student visa)

• 28 Oct - 9 Nov 2020: Outside the UK (these dates include the days of travel)

• 7 Nov 2024: Granted ILR

If I did the above, and applied on 8 November 2025 at say 10.00am, would there be anything stopping me from leaving the UK on the same day but later in the day (say at 2:00pm)?

Many thanks for all your help.

I would recommend applying on the 9 Nov (so you are sure that you were in the UK for the full day when the qualifying period began) and travelling on the 10. You could also do as you suggest, apply in the early morning of the 9 then leave, but I would advise not to apply earlier than the 9 (otherwise you would both be travelling on the first and last day of your qualifying period, which is not exressly against the rules, though it is a bit of a stretch). I appreciate you want to apply as quickly as possible and then leave, just take this as my advice to play it safe, it is your decision when to apply.

Of course there is the other choice of waiting to apply once you are back, given it is only a short trip and you are well under the 90 days limit.

Thanks very much contorted_svy, that's a very sensible approach. I will do one of the two approaches you have suggested! Many thanks again for all your help.