How much time can I spend outside the UK without breaking continuous residence for ILR?

Continuous residence rules limit how long you can be outside the UK during your qualifying period. On many work routes you must not spend more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period across the qualifying years.

Different routes count absences differently, and some older grants of leave were assessed under different rules. Keep a detailed record of every trip abroad with dates, because excessive absences are a common reason ILR applications are refused.