Skilled Worker ILR — qualifying period start: vignette date or BRP issue date?

[QuietOtter84]

Hello,

I'd appreciate some guidance on calculating the 5-year qualifying period for ILR (SET(O)) on the Skilled Worker route.

My situation:

Entry clearance (vignette in passport) valid from: 9 December 2021
BRP issue date printed on the card: 27 November 2021 (the BRP was produced before the vignette start date — we collected it after arriving in the UK)
Continuously on the Skilled Worker route since then.

My question: for the purpose of the continuous residence qualifying period, which date should I count 5 years from — the vignette "valid from" date (9 Dec) or the BRP issue date (27 Nov)? I want to be sure before I work out the earliest date I can apply, since applications can be made up to 28 days before completing 5 years.

My understanding from the Home Office continuous residence guidance is that the period runs from the start of entry clearance (the vignette date), and that the BRP issue date is just the card production date with no legal significance — but the difference matters for when I can submit, so I'd be grateful for confirmation from anyone who has dealt with this.

Thank you in advance.

[zimba]

Use the earliest issue date of a document you have been issued. So use the BRP date.
For administrative reasons, an immigration document cannot be backdated. So any document issued has an issue date when it was printed/issued. In your case, the BRP date is the date of your visa approval and the vignette date is when that sticker was printed, which was later. Your qualifying period starts from the very first visa issue date, so the BRP date.

READ: All you need to know about applying early, the application date, 28-day concession and more