Review and clarify guidance on 3-year residency and 5-year ILR rules for spouses

Most spouse visa holders need around five years before they can obtain ILR. However, official guidance for citizenship refers to a three-year residence requirement for spouses of British citizens while also requiring ILR or settled status. We are concerned this can cause confusion because, in practice, most applicants cannot benefit from the three-year rule until they first complete the five-year settlement route. The guidance should clearly explain that, for most spouse visa holders, eligibility for naturalisation normally follows completion of the five-year route to ILR, despite the separate three-year residence requirement.