Set(o) tier2 spouse form question: absence before 2018

[BrenYu]

I'm applying for ILR from the 5-year tier 2 dependants route.

My 1st LR was granted in Jan 2017, and 2nd was granted in Jan 2019.

1. My first question is about the absence. I understand that there are different ways of calculating absence before and after 11/1/2018, but this form doesn't seem to ask for any absence during my first LR?

Have you had any absences from the UK during any leave granted since 11 January 2018

Am I right that I ONLY need to fill in my absence since my 2nd leave was granted, i.e., from Jan 2019?


2. My 2nd question is: I was still living in another country for about 5 months after I first entered the UK to register in Jan 2017, but visited the UK every month during that period.

So for the question

Have you previously lived in a country outside the UK including your country of birth?

Shall I put "Date you lived there to" as my first date of entering the UK from that country or my last time leaving that country?

Thanks in advance

[zimba]

1. Correct
2. Date you last returned to live here on a long term basis

[BrenYu]

Thanks Zimba,

2. Date you last returned to live here on a long term basis

I'm just worried that it might confuse the caseworker, who might count my continuous stay in the UK from that date instead of my first entrance date?

[zimba]

Caseworkers do not use those dates to calculate your continuous period. That is not how it works. They follow the rules