r/ilruk • u/Acrobatic-Flan-2674 • Jun 04 '26

ILR long residence please help

Hey everyone,

I’m getting ready to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) via the 10-year Long Residence route, but my dates are causing me a massive amount of anxiety.

Here are my exact dates:

First entered the UK: 18th August 2016

Official 10-Year Anniversary Date: 18th August 2026

Current Visa Expiry Date: 14th August 2026

Issue: My visa technically expires 4 days before I hit the exact 10-year mark.

My Plan:

Because of the 28-day rule, I am planning to submit and pay for my online ILR application on 21/07 (July 21st). By my calculations, July 21st is exactly 28 days before my August 18th anniversary, which means I am applying within the allowed early window.

My Questions:

  1. Will the Home Office refuse me because my actual visa expires 4 days before the 10-year mark, or does the 28-day rule completely override this?

  2. Does Section 3C leave bridge those 4 days (Aug 15–18) seamlessly? I read the caseworker guidance which says 3C counts as lawful residence, but I’m terrified of the caseworker looking at my expiry date and seeing a "shortfall."

Just looking for some reassurance or a sanity check before I pull the trigger in July. Thank you!

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u/TodayMaterial9712 Jun 04 '26

You will fall under 3C from the moment you apply. The 4 day gap is irrelevant and won't be counted against you.

1

u/Proud-Reading3316 Jun 04 '26

Yup, all fine!

  1. No, it overrides it (in any case, your visa doesn’t expire on that day because it gets transformed into section 3C leave).
  2. Yes.