Chat to Caira 24/7 for instant answers about your ILR pathway — upload your BRP, passport stamps, and employment records to check your 5-year clock, absence history, and current salary eligibility.
Quick answer: Indian professionals are the largest single nationality on the Skilled Worker route. To settle, you need 5 continuous years on the Skilled Worker (or qualifying predecessor) visa, with no more than 180 days of UK absence in any rolling 12‑month period during those 5 years, still sponsored at the ILR salary threshold, with the Life in the UK test and a B1 English qualification. The two most dangerous traps for Indian applicants are (1) time on an Intra‑Company Transfer / Senior or Specialist Worker visa — which does not count toward ILR — and (2) exceeding 180 days of UK absence in any rolling 12 months due to long family trips, wedding seasons, or remote working from India.
Three Key Takeaways
Count the right days and the right visas. Time on ICT (Tier 2 ICT / Senior or Specialist Worker / Global Business Mobility) does not count toward ILR. Many TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and Cognizant colleagues have spent years in the UK only to discover that none of it counts. Check your visa category on your BRP/eVisa now, not at year five.
The 180‑day rule is rolling. Absences are counted in any rolling 12‑month period during the 5-year qualifying period, not per calendar year. A three‑month wedding season plus a two‑month elderly‑parent care trip plus a month of remote work from Bangalore will break your clock without you noticing.
The rules keep changing upwards. The Skilled Worker general salary threshold rose to £38,700 for most new applicants in April 2024, the Immigration Salary List replaced the Shortage Occupation List, and further increases have been announced. At ILR you must meet the going rate for your occupation code in force at that time — not the rate when you first entered.
The Moving Parts (in Plain English)
Continuous lawful residence. Five years with a valid Skilled Worker visa (or qualifying predecessor like Tier 2 General, Health and Care Worker).
What does not count. ICT visas, Global Business Mobility Senior or Specialist Worker, student visas, Graduate route time, most dependant‑only time before you became main applicant, and any period of illegal working.
Absences. No more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12‑month period during the 5‑year qualifying period. All absences count, not just those before the ILR application.
Sponsorship at ILR. Your sponsor must still want to employ you. If their sponsor licence has been revoked, you have 60 days to find a new sponsor. The new Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) must be assigned and your new visa granted before you start the new job.
Salary at ILR. You must meet the higher of (a) the general salary threshold in force and (b) the "going rate" for your SOC 2020 occupation code at the time of ILR application — not the rate when you first got your visa. The salary must be genuine, paid via PAYE, and evidenced by payslips and bank statements.
Life in the UK test and English. B1 CEFR, or a degree taught in English verified by UK ENIC.
Dependants. Spouse/partner and children can apply with you on the same 5‑year timeline. Adult dependants need to meet the English and Life in the UK test requirements. Children born in the UK may have different routes to citizenship after a parent gets ILR.
Common Mistakes and Oversights
ICT time assumed to count. This is the single biggest mistake for Indian IT professionals. Only Skilled Worker (or Tier 2 General / Health and Care Worker) time counts.
Switching employer without a new CoS and visa in place. Starting the new job before your new visa is granted can break continuous residence and amounts to illegal working.
Remote working from India while the family stays in the UK. Every day outside the UK counts toward the 180‑day rule even if you are working on a UK payroll.
Relying on pandemic concessions. Covid‑era Home Office concessions have been withdrawn. Don’t assume they apply to your case today.
Waiting until year five to check your SOC code’s going rate. If your pay hasn’t kept up, you need a pay rise from your sponsor before ILR.
Forgetting the Immigration Health Surcharge and fees. The full fee set (visa, IHS, biometrics) for a family of four over 5 years commonly exceeds £25,000, and the IHS is paid upfront for the full visa duration.
Top Tips
From day one, keep a UK days spreadsheet. Date out, date in, reason.
Photograph every page of your Indian passport on entry and exit. Electronic records are imperfect; your evidence matters.
Ask your sponsor annually for a letter confirming your role, salary, and SOC code.
If you plan to change jobs, line up the new CoS and get your new visa before starting. The Home Office expects no gap in sponsored employment.
If your role is on the Immigration Salary List, check whether your own salary still satisfies the going rate at ILR. ISL concessions at entry do not carry into ILR.
Consider the 10‑year long‑residence route as a backup — Appendix Long Residence allows ILR after 10 years’ continuous lawful residence on any mix of visas (including ICT), but the absence rules are different: no more than 184 days per absence and no more than 548 days total in 10 years.
Step‑by‑Step: 5‑Year Plan for an Indian Skilled Worker
Year 1 — Foundation. Confirm visa category on your eVisa is Skilled Worker (not ICT). Start the UK days spreadsheet. Register for a GP and bank account — paper trail matters at ILR.
Year 2 — Life test and English. If you don’t have a UK‑ENIC verified English degree, book the B1 SELT test. Start learning for the Life in the UK test early.
Year 3 — Career review. Check the going rate for your SOC 2020 code on GOV.UK. Negotiate salary accordingly.
Year 4 — Absence audit. Pull passport stamps. Where is the 180‑day rolling count? Cut non‑essential trips.
Year 5 — Application window. You can apply up to 28 days before your 5 years are complete. Prepare CoS from sponsor, payslips for 6 months, Life in the UK certificate, English qualification, biometric appointment, IHS payment.
Year 6 — Citizenship. 12 months after ILR you can apply to naturalise. India does not permit dual citizenship — plan for surrendering the Indian passport and applying for OCI.
Examples
Example 1 — TCS consultant with 4 years on ICT. Arjun has been in London for 4 years on a Tier 2 ICT visa. He switches to Skilled Worker with a new UK employer. His ICT time does not count. His 5‑year ILR clock starts now. Alternative: the 10‑year long residence route, if he stays continuously lawful for another 6 years.
Example 2 — Care worker on the Immigration Salary List. Priya entered as a Health and Care Worker in 2022 at a salary below the general threshold but above the going rate for her code under ISL. At ILR in 2027 she must meet the full going rate for the occupation code at that date. Her sponsor agrees a 6% rise 9 months before ILR.
Example 3 — Wedding season + elderly parents. Rohan has spent 85 days in India for his sister’s wedding, 60 days caring for his father after a surgery, and 45 days remote‑working from Mumbai in the last 12 months. That’s 190 days — already over the 180‑day limit. He cancels a planned Diwali trip and resets the rolling count.
Example 4 — Sponsor licence revoked. Meena’s employer loses its sponsor licence 18 months before her ILR. She has 60 days to find a new sponsor. She secures a new CoS and visa in 47 days; her 5‑year clock keeps running because the switch is continuous.
Where People Get Stuck
Long‑residence (10‑year) route. Useful if your 5‑year Skilled Worker plan is interrupted. Absence rules are different: no more than 184 days per absence and no more than 548 days total in 10 years.
Dependant English tests. Adult dependants also need B1 at ILR. Indian degrees taught in English can be verified, but the UK ENIC fee and turnaround can be slow.
Indian passport surrender for citizenship. Surrender is mandatory once you naturalise as British. OCI application takes weeks but is usually straightforward.
Good‑character requirement. Unpaid UK tax, NHS debts over £500, or unspent driving convictions can sink a naturalisation application even after ILR.
Where to Get Help
GOV.UK "Skilled Worker visa: settle in the UK" — the authoritative rules and fee list.
Home Office caseworker guidance "Skilled Worker" — the version your caseworker uses.
Appendix Skilled Worker and Appendix Long Residence of the Immigration Rules.
Your employer’s immigration counsel (most Indian IT firms have an in‑house team — use them).
A UK immigration solicitor for complex cases and appeals.
Final thought:
The Skilled Worker route to ILR is open and fair, but it is not forgiving of poor administration. Two spreadsheets — UK days and salary vs going rate — and one annual conversation with your sponsor are the difference between a smooth ILR and an expensive restart.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal, financial or tax advice.
