Evidence template
ILR absence letter template
An employer letter can explain genuine work travel and support an accurate absence record. It cannot change the number of days abroad or create an exception to the settlement rules, so it must be specific, truthful and corroborated.
Direct answer
Use an employer letter to confirm facts the employer can genuinely verify: who employed you, your role, the exact travel dates, destination and business purpose. Ask an authorised person with access to records to sign it on company letterhead. Do not ask the employer to state that an absence “does not count” for ILR; that is a legal conclusion for the decision-maker under the relevant Immigration Rules.
Match the letter to your application travel list, passport, bookings and any other evidence. A concise, accurate letter is more useful than a broad assertion that all travel was essential.
Copyable employer letter template
To whom it may concern, Re: [employee full name], [date of birth if used by employer] I am [name], [job title], authorised to confirm employment records for [employer legal name]. [Employee] has been employed as [role] since [date] and was employed by us during the periods below. Our records confirm the following business travel: • [departure date] to [return date] — [country/countries] — [specific business purpose]. • [departure date] to [return date] — [country/countries] — [specific business purpose]. The dates above are taken from [travel booking / expenses / assignment / HR] records. This letter confirms employment and business purpose only. Supporting records can be provided if required. Signed: [name] [role, employer, business address, work email, telephone] [date]
What the letter should contain
| Item | What good evidence looks like |
|---|---|
| Identity and authority | Employee’s full name; employer’s legal name; letterhead; signatory’s role and contact details |
| Employment facts | Role, employment start date, employment status and relevant work location |
| Each journey | Departure and return dates, country or countries, and purpose |
| Corroboration | Reference to records checked; supporting itinerary, expenses or assignment evidence |
| Accuracy | Date of letter, signature and a clear explanation of any uncertainty |
List each material trip rather than saying “frequent international travel”. If there are many trips, attach a signed schedule with a heading, page number and clear reference in the letter. State the actual dates recorded by the employer, even if those dates create an ILR issue. The applicant can then explain a discrepancy transparently rather than submitting contradictory documents.
Worked examples
Single assignment: “Ms A travelled from 2 May 2025 to 7 May 2025 to Paris to attend the client implementation meeting.” This identifies a specific trip. Under the usual whole-day method, the ILR calculation would count 3–6 May, not the employer’s five inclusive travel dates.
Multiple trips: A sponsor’s HR team signs a schedule setting out ten journeys, each with booking reference and project code. The letter confirms it was generated from expense and travel records. Attach the schedule and retain the source records.
Former employer: If the business has closed or will not issue a letter, do not create a substitute in its name. Use contracts, payslips, P60s, work emails, itineraries, invoices and a short personal explanation of why a letter is unavailable.
Route and legal limits
Business travel usually still counts as absence. The fact that the employer required it does not itself exempt it from the 180-day calculation. Appendix Continuous Residence has defined provisions and exceptions; whether one applies depends on the route, dates and evidence. Work-route dependants and some historic permissions may have special rules. Partner/family applicants should not assume the same result as a Skilled Worker simply because a letter calls the trip “business travel”.
Long Residence needs extra caution. Absences starting before 11 April 2024 may need the historic 184-day and 548-day tests, rather than only the current rolling calculation. A letter supports facts; it does not resolve which historic rule applies.
Evidence bundle
Put the signed letter beside supporting travel documents: boarding passes, e-ticket receipts, conference registration, expense claims, calendar invitations, assignment letters and relevant emails. Include only material personal data. If the letter gives a date range, ensure it corresponds to actual departure and return dates, not merely the dates of a conference or hotel stay.
Where a record conflicts, explain it in a dated note. For example, a booked flight may have been cancelled and rebooked the following day. Provide the cancellation and new itinerary rather than hoping the caseworker will infer the correction.
Common mistakes and FAQ
- Using unsigned text from a colleague rather than a letter from an authorised representative.
- Giving only a purpose, without exact dates and destination.
- Confusing inclusive work-trip dates with counted whole absence days.
- Claiming that travel was “permitted” without citing a real rule.
- Submitting an employer letter without your own travel evidence.
Must every trip have an employer letter? No. Use it where it can verify relevant work travel; personal trips need their own accurate evidence.
Can an employer say the trip was compulsory? Yes, if true and supported by records. That may explain the context but does not itself remove days from the count.
Next steps and official sources
Ask the signatory to review the completed schedule against records, calculate whole days separately, and compare the result with Appendix Continuous Residence and the Home Office guidance. Last reviewed: 17 August 2026. General information, not legal advice.