3 or 5 year route applying for citizenship while married to British citizen

[Rad28]

Hi,

I had a Skilled Worker dependent visa from December 2020, and entered the UK on February 2021. I've renewed my visa in November 2022 and it was valid until November 2025. I received my ILR in November 2025. My husband received his British citizenship on December 2022. I would like to apply for British citizenship, and I will wait for next month in March so I can meet the requirement of physically being in the UK 5 years from the date of the application.

I looked at the guidance and there are 2 options:

Option 1: Apply using your ILR based on 5 years residency, 450 days absence, and maintaining ILR for 12 months before your application

Option 2: Apply while married to a British citizen, have residency for 3 years, 270 days absence, and no requirement to maintain ILR for 12 months before your application.

I would like to apply based on the 5 years residency and 450 days absence, since I can meet that criteria whereas I have absence way more than 270 days in the last 3 years. Can I apply using Option 1 while still not waiting 12 months since receiving my ILR, i.e. apply in March with only 4 months of ILR?

Thank you