CF83 (NIC abroad)- Which Class2 rules are applied? Date of leaving or date of application (now)

One criteria for determining Class2 or Class3 payments is currently whether you were employed or self-employed when you left the UK. In other words if you were "Neither employed nor self-employed" you would pay Class3 otherwise Class2 is possible. I left the UK in 1986 and at the time the rule for paying Class2 was slightly different: either you have lived in the UK for 3 consecutive years at any time before the period for which the contributions are paid or you had paid 3 years of NI and you are working abroad and you were employed or self employed immediately before going abroad or you would normally be employed or self employed, but were unemployed immediately before going overseas. My question is, does the Class2 rule applied on a CF83 submitted today depend on the date of leaving the UK?

Hi,
You can find the criteria for paying Voluntary Contributions abroad by reading NI38 on the gov.uk website Social Security abroad: NI38
If you believe you are eligible, you’ll then have to apply using the form CF83 ‘Application to pay National Insurance Contributions abroad’ Apply to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions when abroad (CF83)
You pay Class 2 for periods abroad where you had employment or self employment abroad, and immediately before you left the UK you were employed, self employed or registered unemployed.
You also need to meet at least one of the other criteria detailed in the NI38 guidance document to be considered eligible for Class 2 NICs. This is regardless of when you left the UK. 
Thank you.