The ILR and UK citizenship planner

Your settlement and citizenship dates, your days abroad against the 180, 450 and 90 day limits, the fees, and which file proves what. Built from one real route, checked on gov.uk on 31 October 2026. Excel and Google Sheets.

Holding a British passport beside the planner checklist: your ILR and citizenship dates, every day abroad counted, every fee, your documents, and a cover letter template
The travel log tab: one row per trip, days absent, and running totals against the 180, 450 and 90 day limits The clock tab: first entry date and route in, settlement and citizenship dates out, with the rule beside each The document vault tab: which file proves what at each stage, with a tick and a file name
What you get
  • Excel workbook, 6 tabsStart here, Clock, Travel log, Fees budget, Document vault, Rules and sources
  • Google Sheets versionA make-a-copy link puts it in your own Drive in one click
  • Stage checklists, 7 pagesSkilled Worker extension, Global Talent stage 1 and 2, settlement, citizenship, first passport: what the Home Office actually asked for
  • Settlement cover letter template, WordThe headings and tables of an accepted letter, every personal detail replaced by a placeholder
  • Referees, the ceremony and the passport, 3 pagesWho can sign, what to send them, choosing a council, and the steps after the ceremony
  • Open me first pageThe Google Sheets button and the three things to do first
Why this one
  • It counts the way the Home Office countsWhole days only, with the day you leave and the day you return left out, as Guide AN says. One switch shows the worst case.
  • Every window, not just the totalSettlement is 180 days in any 12 months. The log checks the 12 months ending on every return date, and turns amber at 144 days, red over 180.
  • The physical presence trapYou must have been in the UK on the day exactly 5 years before the Home Office receives your application. The clock names that day and checks your log for it.
  • Real checklists, not a generic listEach stage page is built from the UKVI document checklist I was given and the files I uploaded, with the personal details removed.
  • Dated and sourcedEvery rule and fee carries the gov.uk page and the day it was read, so you know what to re-check when you apply.
How it works
  • 1Set your clockType the date you first entered the UK and pick your route. Add your settlement date when you have it.
  • 2Log every tripCountry, purpose, the day you left, the day you returned, and a tick when you have checked it against your passport stamps.
  • 3Budget and fileTick the stages ahead of you, type what you paid, and tick each document as you save it.
Who it is for

Anyone in the UK on a Skilled Worker, Global Talent or similar work route, or a dependant partner, who is planning settlement or citizenship and wants their dates, trips and documents in order before they apply. It is built around the 5 year route, with the 3 year rules for Global Talent and for spouses of British citizens.

Questions
Is this immigration advice?

No. It is general information and organising tools, built from my own applications and checked on gov.uk. Advice on your own case is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority: for your case, speak to a regulated adviser or a solicitor.

Do I need Microsoft Excel?

No. It comes with a Google Sheets version, which is free with a Google account. The Excel file also opens in the free web version of Excel.

What if the rules or fees change?

The fee cells are white so you can update them, and the Rules and sources tab names the gov.uk page for each rule. Check gov.uk on the day you apply.

How do I get it?

Straight after payment it is in your library on this site: the workbook, the two PDFs of checklists, the cover letter template and the Open me first page with the Google Sheets button.

General information and organising tools, not immigration advice. For your case, speak to a regulated adviser. Rules checked on gov.uk on 31 October 2026.

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