ILR Application - Hopefully an easy one

[sleepyrascal]

Hi,

I've read a couple of posts here about applying for ILR following a time out of the UK. My wife is currently applying on the new fast track route and I have a couple of queries I hope you guys can help with.

Some facts:
Me: British Citizen
My wife: Russian National
Our kids: British from birth

Shortly after receiving my wife's extended leave to remain, the industry in which I work took a huge hit and a massive downturn followed. As a result I was posted to the Middle east mid 2016 until Nov 2018 by my employer. My wife joined me for long period of that time along with our boys. While I was there I was paid in the local Dubai currency into my account in Dubai. This account has since been closed.

My wife and kids are now back in the UK permanently and I am on a formal rotation between International and the UK, paid in GBP into my uk account. I meet the required income threshold. I am considered UK resident from both tax and social perspectives.

My question is around our time away. We spent as much time as possible together although my wife and kids spent time in the UK during summer holidays etc and I came back for weekends. In June 2018 my wife and kids moved back to the UK permanently and we are applying from inside the UK. My kids are attending nursery and school back in the UK.

Has anyone encountered this? Will this be a big problem? Had we not gone to the middle east it's very likely I would have been made redundant so to me that is a compelling reason to move. However I know rules are rules. I am struggling to get a clear steer from the home office literature on this specific type of circumstance.

Any thoughts?

[zimba]

ILR under family route SET(M) has no absence limits. As your family is settled in the UK, she should be fine with her ILR