Tier 1 General to Tier 2 General

Are you unable to qualify for a Tier 1 General extension? Do you work as a highly skilled IT, Engineering, Medical or Financial Services Professional? If so Commonwealth Contractors may be able to help you ‘switch’ in country to Tier 2 General!

If you find that you are unable to secure a Tier 1 General visa extension you will have two choices (1) see out the remainder of your visa and then go home, or (2) find a Tier 2 licensed sponsor and ‘switch’ in country from Tier 1 General to Tier 2 General.

At Commonwealth Contractors we partner with Tier 2 licensed employers who may be prepared, where appropriate, to sponsor a highly skilled individual on a Tier 2 General Visa. It is MUCH easier and better if you can start with them at least 6 months before your Tier 1 visa expires. 6 months employment on a Tier 1 visa will allow the employer to sponsor you without first having to advertise the job and open it up to local applicants. If you don’t have 6 months left on your Tier 1 visa, you may still be able to get sponsored, but only if you have niche skills for which there are not enough local applicants available when teh role is advertised extensively for a month.

To find out more call Commonwealth Contractors now on 0330 390 9021 or Submit your Details and we will get right back to you!

Why might I fail to qualify for a Tier 1 Extension?

• Lack of Previous Earnings: You may find that you lack a sufficient level of highly skilled earnings during the qualification period. The Previous Earnings requirement is the most important category by far for those going for a Tier 1 extension. Please note that you need to prove your actual level of earned income, therefore reimbursed expenses that you claim to gain a tax advantage do not qualify.
• Failure to validate the Maintenance Requirement: You need to maintain a sufficient level of funds in your bank account for ALL of the 90 days immediately prior to the application. If funds drop even £1 below the minimum requirement the UK Border Agency will not approve the application.
• Insufficient Payment Documentation: In order to validate the Previous Earnings requirement you actually need to prove your income in the period. The best way by far to do this is to provide stamped and signed payslips for income received in the period, bank statements showing funds have been received and a detailed employment reference from the employer or employers in the period (breaking down gross and net payments).
•  Failure to prepare a suitable application in time: You should apply for a Tier 1 extension around 1 month before the end of your current leave to remain. Do not leave the preparation of the application until the last minute. Many individuals think that they have all the documentation in place or believe that they can get documents in place at the last minute. Many of these individuals encounter problems and then find they are unable to extend their status.
• Offshore payment vehicles: Do not use offshore vehicles such as EBTs to deal with UK contract earnings. Working in this way is illegal and you will not be able to qualify for a Tier 1 Visa extension as you will not be able to prove your earned income.

If you find that you are unable to qualify for a Tier 1 General visa extension call Commonwealth Contractors now on 0330 390 9021 or Submit your Details to find out about ‘switching’ in country from Tier 1 General to Tier 2 General. We work with Tier 2 licensed sponsors who may be prepared, where appropriate, to sponsor an individual on a Tier 2 General visa.

Find out More

To find out more about our solutions call now on 0330 390 9021 or Submit your Details and we will get right back to you!