FOR ALL YOUR IMMIGRATION MATTERS
ILR solicitors
The date you first arrived is only the starting point. Different visas, journeys abroad and gaps between permissions can change when you qualify.
Garth Coates Solicitors helps you examine the full history before you commit to a settlement application.
Advice for your complete immigration history
Our ILR solicitors review the permission you held throughout the qualifying period, including changes between eligible routes. We examine Home Office decisions, travel dates and any time spent awaiting an application or appeal decision.Where the records reveal a potential gap or an absence close to a limit, we explain its effect and what further evidence may help establish your position.
The firm was established in 2008 by Garth Coates, who previously worked as a Home Office immigration officer. Our team advises individuals and families on settlement, applications and refusals.
The firm is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, number 491304. You can meet our immigration team before deciding whether to instruct us.
- Specialist Expertise
- High Success Rate
- Outstanding Client Care
- Proactive and Diligent Approach
- Extensive Experience and Reliability
Contact us for a ILR Based on Long Residence consultation
(Typical response time 2 business hours)
6,500 +
Successful Applications and Still Counting
31
Years of Experience in the UK Immigration Law
18
British Lawyers and Supporting Staff
25k +
Consultancy Services Provided and Still Counting
An application built around the evidence
A long residence application needs more than a collection of passports. We help construct a clear chronology of immigration permission and absences, identify the documents needed for your circumstances and prepare the application and supporting representations. We also check the English language and Life in the UK requirements that apply on your intended application date.
Our advice covers the practical decisions around applying: when your 10 years may be complete, whether you have spent enough time on your current route, and what happens if an existing visa is close to expiry. We can explain the Home Office process, including biometric enrolment and the restriction on travel while an application is pending. We keep you informed as your case progresses.
We agree the scope of our work after reviewing your circumstances and the documents available. If the Home Office later requests clarification, we can assess what is being asked and help you respond. This matters when old records are incomplete or a decision depends on rules that applied at a particular time.
Look beyond your own settlement
A partner or child cannot simply be added to a long residence application. We can consider their position alongside yours and discuss any separate route they may need. Once settlement is granted, it may also be relevant to future British citizenship plans, which have their own requirements.
If settlement is not yet possible, we explain what is missing and consider how you may remain lawfully in the meantime. We take family members’ immigration dates into account, since a delay to your application may affect their plans too.
If you are approaching 10 years in the UK, or are unsure whether every period counts, request a consultation.
Tell us about your visa history, current permission and any significant time abroad so we can discuss the next steps.
FAQs
How can ILR solicitors at Garth Coates help with a long residence application?
Our ILR solicitors can assess whether you have completed 10 years of qualifying lawful residence, check your travel and immigration records, and advise on the evidence needed for settlement. If you instruct Garth Coates Solicitors, we can prepare your application and address any complex points in written representations to the Home Office.
We create a timeline of visa grants, applications and journeys abroad. That can reveal an excluded route, a period when permission continued while an application was pending, or an absence needing closer examination. We also consider suitability, your current route, English evidence and the Life in the UK Test.
We then explain whether you are ready to apply, what needs verifying and how an issue affects timing. Our work can include organising documents, completing the online form and advising as the application progresses. The Home Office makes the decision, so no solicitor can guarantee the outcome.
Can ILR solicitors count time I spent on different visas?
Yes. The long residence route can combine qualifying periods spent on different immigration routes, such as Student, Graduate, work and family permission. Garth Coates checks the dates and conditions of each grant. Ten calendar years in the UK do not necessarily mean 10 qualifying years, because some kinds of permission are excluded.
Time as a visitor, Short-term Student or Seasonal Worker does not count, nor does permission under the Ukraine schemes. Immigration bail and overstaying are excluded too. If your history includes Student visa permission followed by work or family permission, we examine each transition for continuity.
You must normally have spent 12 months on your current route before applying for long residence settlement. This does not necessarily mean 12 months on one visa grant. The requirement does not apply if your current permission was granted before 11 April 2024. We check that date alongside the date you complete 10 years.
How do ILR solicitors check whether my absences break continuous residence?
Garth Coates reviews every departure and return during your proposed qualifying period of 10 years, then applies the absence rules relevant to when each trip began. For absences beginning on or after 11 April 2024, the usual limit is 180 days outside the UK in any period of 12 months. Earlier travel is treated differently.
For absences that began before 11 April 2024, one period abroad of more than 184 days or more than 548 days of such absences in total will normally break continuous residence. Only qualifying earlier trips count towards the 548 day total. Adding every journey into one total for the decade can mislead.
We reconstruct trips from passports, tickets and other available records, particularly if travel spans the rule change. Limited exceptions exist for circumstances such as serious family illness or travel disruption, but require evidence. We assess the dates and reasons before advising whether an exception is relevant.
Can ILR solicitors help if I have a gap between visas or overstayed?
Yes. Our ILR solicitors can examine the dates of previous permissions, applications and decisions to identify whether there was a gap and what it means for your qualifying period of 10 years. Overstaying does not count as qualifying lawful residence, even if a rule might excuse a late application for another purpose. The full sequence matters.
A valid application made before existing permission expired may have extended it under section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 while a decision or eligible challenge was pending. Whether that period counts depends on the previous route and what followed. An application submitted late does not have the same effect.
We examine decision letters to distinguish apparent gaps from real breaks. Where records are missing, we can advise whether requesting Home Office information would help. If a period cannot count, we explain whether another qualifying window, more time on your current route or another option should be considered.
What if Garth Coates finds that I am not yet eligible for ILR?
We will explain which requirement is missing and whether it can be met later or whether another immigration route should be considered. An incomplete period of 10 years, an excluded visa category, a significant absence or insufficient time on your current route can change the answer. We will not treat long residence as the only possible settlement route.
If you have completed 10 lawful continuous years but lack the English or Life in the UK requirement, temporary permission on the Long Residence route may be possible. If residence does not qualify, a family, work or private life route may need assessment. Your existing permission and application deadlines still matter.
After a refusal, we can assess the decision and advise on a response through our visa refusal service. The government has proposed removing the separate long residence route in wider settlement reforms, but it remains in the current rules. We check the law in force and any future transitional arrangements when advising you.
What documents will Garth Coates’ ILR solicitors need from me?
We usually begin with your current passport, earlier passports covering your time in the UK and proof of your current immigration status. We also ask for previous visa decisions and a complete travel history where available. The exact evidence depends on your circumstances, especially if you changed routes or cannot account for a period.
GOV.UK asks for every passport held during UK residence, plus a biometric residence permit if you have one or online proof of your eVisa. An expired permit can still be relevant evidence. Documents not in English or Welsh need certified translations.
Further documents should answer particular questions. Home Office correspondence can explain a pending application; travel bookings can confirm a trip; housing, education, employment or financial records can clarify disputed dates. We organise the evidence into a chronology, identify inconsistencies and check your English and Life in the UK evidence before submission.
What English and Life in the UK requirements apply to my ILR application?
Most adults applying for settlement through long residence must show the required English language ability and pass the Life in the UK Test, unless an exemption applies. For applications before 26 March 2027, the English requirement is normally speaking and listening at level B1. From that date, the rules require level B2.
Evidence may include an approved English test, an accepted qualification or proof of an exemption. We check what is acceptable for your application date rather than assume an old test or degree will suffice. Age and some medical circumstances can affect whether a requirement applies.
If you have completed qualifying residence but cannot yet meet the English or knowledge of life requirement, the rules may allow temporary permission to stay where other requirements are met. That permission differs from ILR and has its own costs and conditions. We can advise which application fits your circumstances.
Can ILR solicitors at Garth Coates advise my partner and children?
Yes. We can assess your family members’ immigration position alongside your own long residence application. You cannot add a partner or child to that settlement application as a dependant. They must qualify separately for long residence ILR or use another appropriate route, so their visa expiry dates and future plans need individual attention.
A family member with 10 qualifying years may apply in their own right. Someone without that history may need permission as the partner or child of a settled person after your application succeeds, if eligible. Adult children can face different and more limited options.
We check each person’s current permission before recommending the order of applications. Where a partner route is relevant, our spouse visa solicitors can advise on its requirements. Another settlement route might allow eligible dependants to apply with you. Your own ILR date should be planned alongside the family’s visa expiry dates.
How much does long residence ILR cost and how long does it take?
The current Home Office fee for a long residence ILR application is £3,226. Garth Coates’ professional fee is separate and depends on the work required for your case. Standard Home Office decisions are usually made within six months after you provide biometrics, although complex applications can take longer and an optional faster service may be available.
We check the qualifying period of 10 years and, where relevant, 12 months on your current route before submission. Home Office guidance allows certain applications to be considered within 28 days of completing 10 years, but applying too early can lead to refusal. We advise on the appropriate filing date for your circumstances.
You must apply in the UK. Travel beyond the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while the application is pending will withdraw it without a fee refund. You submit documents and biometrics as instructed; if granted, your status is recorded as an eVisa. We explain government charges and our quoted fee before you instruct us.
Garth Coates
Principal Partner
A Message from Our Principal
At Garth Coates Solicitors, we provide expert legal advice and unwavering support across the full spectrum of UK immigration matters. Before qualifying as a solicitor, I worked within the UK Home Office (UKVI) as an Immigration Officer — a role that gave me valuable insight into the inner workings of the immigration system. Since then, I have gone on to represent clients at several of the UK’s most prominent immigration law firms, and later established this firm to deliver a more focused and client-centred approach.
Together with my senior legal team, we bring over 30 years of combined experience in the UK immigration sector. This depth of expertise enables us to successfully handle even the most complex and challenging cases — from visa refusals and judicial review proceedings to corporate sponsorships, family reunifications, and permanent settlement applications.
We are proud of our high success rate, earned through strategic thinking, meticulous preparation, and a commitment to delivering results. Our multilingual team of solicitors, caseworkers, and support professionals is well-equipped to serve a global clientele with care, professionalism, and cultural understanding.
At Garth Coates Solicitors, we fight for our clients’ rights and treat each case with the attention and seriousness it deserves. Whether you’re applying for the first time, facing an appeal, or unsure of your options, we are here to guide you with clarity and confidence.
Warm regards,
Contact us for a ILR Based on Long Residence consultation
(Typical response time 2 business hours)
