Master prompt
ILR + naturalisation pathway day-counting (UK)
Project earliest ILR date from Skilled Worker (5y) / Global Talent (3y Talent or 5y Promise), then earliest naturalisation (BNA 1981 s.6(1) — ILR + 12 months OR s.6(2) — spouse 3y). Includes 180-day rolling-year absence cap and the 450/90 BNA Schedule 1 caps.
UKILRSettlementBNA 1981s.6(1)Naturalisation180 days450 days
You are computing [CLIENT_NAME]'s pathway from current [VISA_ROUTE] to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and onward to British naturalisation under the British Nationality Act 1981.
Reply with ONLY this line and nothing else:
"Right. Counting the route-to-ILR and the BNA window now."
DO show year-by-year absence tallies.
DO highlight any single rolling-year breach of 180 days (Skilled Worker) or 450 days over 5y (BNA).
DO NOT assume the client wants citizenship — confirm against Yes — soon as possible.
CLIENT SUMMARY
• Visa route: [VISA_ROUTE]
• Initial grant date: [INITIAL_VISA_GRANT_DATE]
• Annual absences: [ABSENCE_LOG_5Y]
• Exceptional absence reasons: None
• Intends naturalisation? Yes — soon as possible
• Spouse of British citizen? No
§1 — ILR WINDOW BY ROUTE
Identify the ILR clock:
Skilled Worker (Part 11B / Appendix Continuous Residence):
• 5 years continuous residence on the route
• Max 180 days absent in any rolling 12-month period throughout the 5y
• Earliest ILR application: [INITIAL_VISA_GRANT_DATE] + 5 years (apply
up to 28 days before that date)
• Salary must continue to meet route's "going rate" / current threshold
at the ILR application date
• English B1 + Life in the UK Test required at ILR
• IHS waived for ILR application itself
Global Talent — Exceptional TALENT:
• 3 years (some sub-routes — confirm against Appendix Global Talent
paragraphs GT 9.1 to GT 9.5 — academic, research, digital tech, arts
all qualify for 3y on Talent)
• Earliest: [INITIAL_VISA_GRANT_DATE] + 3 years
• Absence cap more permissive: typically 180 days rolling, but specific
Talent rules — verify
• English B1 + Life in the UK Test required
Global Talent — Exceptional PROMISE:
• 5 years to ILR (same other requirements)
Spouse of British citizen — Appendix FM 5y route:
• 5 years continuous residence
• Same 180-day rolling-year cap (with exceptional discretion)
• Both partners must intend to live together permanently in the UK
• English A1 (initial) → A2 (extension) → B1 (ILR)
• Life in the UK Test at ILR
• If on the 10y route (exceptional circumstances under Article 8 ECHR),
ILR at 10 years
State earliest ILR date for [CLIENT_NAME]: [INITIAL_VISA_GRANT_DATE] + N years
§2 — ROLLING-YEAR ABSENCE CHECK (180 DAYS)
For each 12-month rolling window in the qualifying period, count absences.
A breach in any rolling year (not just calendar year) breaks continuous
residence under Appendix Continuous Residence.
Parse [ABSENCE_LOG_5Y]:
For each year stated:
• If days ≤ 180 → PASS (within the 180 cap)
• If days > 180 → POTENTIAL BREACH
Sub-test:
— Was the absence for "serious illness" / "compelling reason" /
"research / fieldwork inherent to the route" / "natural disaster
/ armed conflict / pandemic"?
— Was it disclosed and documented?
— Did the absence not jeopardise the SW employment relationship?
Cross-check with None.
UKVI may permit "excess" absences only on narrow exceptional grounds.
State for each year: PASS / BREACH (n days over 180) — REVIEW WITH EVIDENCE
§3 — CONTINUOUS EMPLOYMENT (Skilled Worker specific)
If [VISA_ROUTE] is Skilled Worker:
• Must remain employed by the sponsor (or successor sponsors via CoS
update) for the full 5 years, in a role at the appropriate skill / pay
• Gaps between sponsors: max 60 days; otherwise CR is broken
• Pay must continue at the applicable going rate; reduction below it
voids continuity
• Settlement application requires sponsor's confirmation of continued
role at qualifying salary
§4 — BNA 1981 CITIZENSHIP WINDOW (if Yes — soon as possible is Yes)
Once ILR is granted, the citizenship clock starts:
GENERAL ROUTE (s.6(1)):
• Must hold ILR for at least 12 months before applying
• 5-year residence qualifying window (calculated backward from
application date)
• Absence cap: max 450 days in the 5-year window
• Absence cap: max 90 days in last 12 months
• English B1 + Life in the UK Test + good character + intention to live
in UK
SPOUSE ROUTE (s.6(2)) — only if No is Yes:
• Must hold ILR at application date (no 12-month wait)
• 3-year residence qualifying window
• Absence cap: max 270 days in 3-year window
• Absence cap: max 90 days in last 12 months
• Same other requirements
For [CLIENT_NAME]:
Earliest citizenship date under s.6(1): max(ILR + 12 months, [INITIAL_VISA_
GRANT_DATE] + 5 years window-complete date) — typically ILR + 12 months
for ROUTES that grant ILR after 5y residence
Earliest under s.6(2): max(ILR grant, completion of 3-year residence)
State both dates if both routes available.
§5 — 450-DAY ABSENCE CHECK (BNA Schedule 1 Para 1(2)(a))
Sum absences from [ABSENCE_LOG_5Y] for the 5-year qualifying window
preceding the projected citizenship application date.
• If total ≤ 450 → PASS
• If total > 450 → BREACH; caseworker discretion possible (Schedule 1
Para 2(d)) for "special circumstances" — illness, compelling family,
Crown Service, COVID-19 (now sunsetted)
• Cross-reference None
Also check absences in last 12 months ≤ 90 days.
§6 — TIMELINE TABLE
Print a clear timeline:
[INITIAL_VISA_GRANT_DATE] — UK arrival on [VISA_ROUTE]
+ N years (ILR-route dependent) — earliest ILR application
+ 6 months from filing — ILR decision typical
ILR granted + 12 months — earliest s.6(1) naturalisation
ILR granted + 0 months — earliest s.6(2) naturalisation (spouse only)
Naturalisation filed + 3-6 months — Home Office decision
Approval + ≤ 3 months — citizenship ceremony at council
Ceremony — British citizen + apply for UK passport
§7 — RED FLAGS / WATCHPOINTS
□ Year with absence > 180 — pre-empt with evidence (medical, employer)
□ Cumulative 5y absences trending > 450 — adjust planned trips
□ Salary drop below current going rate during the 5y on SW
□ Sponsor licence revoked during the 5y — CoS re-assignment urgency
□ Change of role to non-eligible SOC 2020 — breaks SW continuity
□ Marriage to British citizen after ILR — switching s.6(1) → s.6(2)
requires meeting spouse-route residence in 3y window
□ Indian Citizenship Act 1955 s.9 — automatic loss of Indian citizenship
on UK naturalisation; Indian passport surrender within 3 months
□ Life in the UK Test booked but not yet passed before ILR submission
§8 — RECOMMENDATIONS
State one of:
• "On track — earliest ILR [date], earliest naturalisation [date]. No
intervention required."
• "On track for ILR but Year [N] absence at [X] days — gather exceptional
evidence now."
• "5y total absences projected at [X] days — over the 450 BNA cap;
consider deferring citizenship by [N] months to drop oldest trip out."
• "Continuous residence broken in Year [N] — restart 5y clock from
[date]; ILR earliest [new date]."
End with: "DRAFT — for OISC-regulated adviser or solicitor review. Verify against current UKVI Skilled Worker + Global Talent guidance before submission. The 180-day rolling-year rule under Appendix Continuous Residence was tightened in April 2024; Global Talent's specific absence rules are more permissive — confirm the route-specific text before relying on this calc. The BNA 1981 Schedule 1 caps (450/90/270) are statutory but caseworkers exercise narrow discretion on documented exceptional grounds."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt