I have a general question about ILR....
We (family of 5, all Americans) are here on a 5 yr Tier 2 general visa (sponsored by my husbands employer). We have been here a little over 2 years and always planned to return after 3 years (which will be at the end of this school year, July 2018). I am constantly asked by friends and the kids friends and teammates... "why don't you just stay?!?"
While we do really like it here, there are many reasons for us to return (family, school, still own our house, etc). But, we do sometimes think... hmm, what if we tried to stay here longer or permanently.
When I looked into trying to get ILR from a Tier 2 it seemed pretty confusing. Maybe I'm just not understanding it correctly but it seems you can't apply for ILR until you've been a resident for 5 years. But, at 5 years our visa is expired. So, I guess we'd need apply for an extension, which looks like it is only for 1 year... maximum 6 year stay... and then we'd need to leave the UK for a "cooling off year." This seems crazy... his employer likes him and his job is skilled and in demand... but they're supposed to be ok with him essentially needing a year off? And, how does he work in the US if he's honest that he will only be there for a year?
Could we potentially apply for the extension and then apply for and receive ILR during that extra year? Or am I completely wrong and there is no path to residency from a Tier 2?
I'm not sure we will ever go down this route... but I sometimes don't know how to respond to the "why don't you just stay" questions... they seem to think I just go to the council office and fill out a form or something!
Thanks for any insights!
Holly