Both myself and physicskate came on skilled worker visas. I know that kills you and you don’t think we are skilled workers, but the UK classed us as such. We have both “been there, done that, got the tshirt”.
Have you ever realised that your previous posts can be seen?
From one of your first posts on here (below) it appears you did not come to the UK on a visa that gave ILR after 5 years. You came to the UK on the Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) visa, a visa to work in your employers UK office and that visa does not lead to ILR after 5 years.
It’s the Tier 2 (
General) visa that leads to ILR after 5 years and it’s this visa that has now been replaced by the Skilled Worker visa. The Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) visa is still there, albeit with a higher bar now to get this visa, but it still does not lead to ILR after 5 years.
Physicskate makes it quite clear in each of her posts in her timeline that she did not come to the UK as a skilled worker, she came to the UK on a student visa. The student visa does not lead to ILR after 5 years either.
I apologize if this has been addressed, but several searches turned up nothing. If answered before, can someone post a link?
I have been in the UK for a year and a half now on a Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer Visa. My visa is valid until January 2013. I am a US citizen.
Since moving to the UK, I have met a UK citizen and fallen in love. This "is it" and we plan to marry. There is no date for a wedding set yet.
My job situation may be changing. Whilst it is a strong possibility that my current visa sponsorship is extended for another year until January 2014, this may not be the case (my company recently decided to not renew the other US expat in my office).
Here are my questions:
Does anyone have experience with changing companies/sponsorship of their Tier 2 visa? How difficult was this? (Background: I am a financial analyst)
If we married before my Tier 2 visa expires, what is the process? I am already here in the UK, so I would not be applying from the US. I feel everything I've read addresses when the US citizen is still in the US.
If we were to marry before my Tier 2 visa expires, how long does all the paperwork/approvals take to allow me to stay in the UK under the new visa?
Ideally, I would like to stay in the UK "seamlessly" without having to return to the US to wait for things to process. Is this a possibility?
Thank for you feedback everyone. I really appreciate it!
The reply gave you the options to be able to stay in the UK, for those who came to the UK on a Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) between 6 April 2010 to 5 April 2011.
It wasn’t that generous an offer by the UK, to allow these on an ICT visa in that timeframe to switch to a Tier 2 (General). They had to change employers (if they could find one who wanted them and had a sponsorship licence) for a Tier 2 (General). Unlike the Tier 2 (ICT) visa, the Tier 2 (General) visa had a Resident Labour Market Test to pass, which meant that anybody who was already allowed to work in the UK, who had applied and could do that job, be given the job.
The Tier 2 (General) visa holder also needed be as skilled as they claimed to be on their CV, or they lose the jobs and their sponsor.
The other offer from the UK for those getting their first ICT visa during that 2010/11 timeframe, was to try to get their employer to keep them in the UK office for 10 years on the Tier 2 (ICT) visa. 10 years of lawful stay to then be able to apply for ILR(LR) in 2021 and 2022.