What counts as continuous residence for ILR?

Dear OTS team, I am a doctor working in a NHS hospital, my current visa is tier 2 NHS visa since June 2022 , I came to the UK in June 2019 under Tier 5 government exchange visa, which was for 2 years initially but after 1.5 years we were offered extension due to COVID so I was issued another visa for 1.5 years so in total I’ve spent 3 years under Tier 5 visa however I have worked as a doctor at same role and at the same hospital for the last 4 years. Could my first 3 years under tier 5 visa be counted towards ILR?

Public Answer

Thank you for your enquiry.

There are various ways in which continuous residence can be met and we would need to identify your specific circumstances prior to advising on whether this is the most applicable route for you however it is unlikely that the years spent under the T5 route would count towards this. For more information, please call 02039599123 or click here 

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