10-Year Private Life Route – Absences from the UK (Help Needed!)

[arsy20]

Hi all,

I’m posting this on behalf of my brother-in-law who’s currently on the 10-year private life route in the UK. He’s due for his next visa renewal in December 2025, and by that point, he’ll have completed 7.5 years in the UK under this route.

His last visa renewal was in June 2023. Since then, he has spent a total of 101 days outside the UK, but these were spread out over a few short trips — not a single continuous absence. The trips were for important personal reasons: his wedding, the birth of his first child, and he’ll soon be travelling again for the birth of his second child.

We’ve checked the official UKVI rules and understand that:

Absences should not exceed 180 days in a single trip, and
Should not total more than 540 days over the 10-year period.
He’s clearly within both limits.
However, we’ve also spoken to a few immigration lawyers who mentioned that it’s best to stay under 90 days of absence per 2.5-year visa period, but I can’t find this rule written anywhere in official guidance. It seems more like a recommendation than a requirement.

So my questions are:

Has my brother-in-law broken any immigration rules by being outside the UK for 101 days across several trips since June 2023?
Will this affect his next renewal or his future ILR application on the 10-year route?
Is there any actual rule about “90 days per 2.5 years,” or is that just general legal advice?
Would really appreciate any insight from those who’ve been through this or have legal knowledge about the 10-year private life route.
Thanks in advance!

[arsy20]

Any help?

[CR001]

There is no such 90 day rule.