Generally speaking you should not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK in a 12 month period during the period of residence in the UK.
The length of time you must spend in the UK before being eligible for Permanent residence in the UK:
| Permanent residence | Time needed to gain permanent residency |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker visa and former Tier 2 visa | 5 years |
| Ancestry | 5 years |
| Marriage or Civil Partnership | 5 years |
| Unmarried partners | 5 years |
| Investors Now discontinued | 2-5 years |
| Family Visa | 5 years |
| Global Talent | 3 or 5 years |
| Innovator or Innovator Founder | 3 |
| Persons establishing themselves in business | 5 years |
| Lawful stay on any basis | 10 years |
Since 02 April 2007, persons requesting permanent residence will be required to take the "Life in the UK" test.
Once permanent residence (properly known as indefinite leave to remain) has been granted, there are no longer any immigration related restrictions on the work or business you may do in the UK, and no time limits on your stay in the UK.
You should note that to keep your permanent residence you should not spend longer than two years outside the UK. You should maintain ties to the UK and should consider the UK as your home. If you continue to only spend short periods of time in the UK over many years it is likely that there will come a time when you will lose your indefinite leave to remain in the UK. It is therefore beneficial in most cases to apply for UK citizenship. You can normally apply for naturalisation as an UK citizen one year after being granted indefinite leave to remain and as long as you meet the residence requirements.