Switching from T2 to T1

Hello all,

I currently hold a T2 general visa and am applying for a T1 (exceptional promise) visa. I have a question regarding the following sentence in the T1 (Exceptional Talent) Policy Guidance:

"If you are already in the United Kingdom, you should apply for stage 2 before the expiry of your current leave to remain. We encourage applications to be made at least a month before your extant (still existing) leave expires. However, you should note that we will grant the period of leave which you request from the date that we make the decision, and consequently if you apply much earlier than one month before the expiry of your extant leave, there is a risk that this may affect whether you will subsequently qualify for settlement."

In my situation, I am applying for a T1 visa much earlier than one month before the expiry of my current T2 visa (which will expire in about 1.5 years). I wonder what is the "RISK" mentioned here concerning the subsequent application for settlement.

I arrived in the UK on 3/11/2015 and remained in the country ever since. I assume that my qualifying period for settlement would be a continuous period starting from the beginning date of my T2 visa (2/11/2015) to 28 days before 2/11/2020. If I switched from T2 to T1 successfully in the middle, the qualifying period would be the same, right?

Cheers,
Adam

I would think so too, so I can't see what "risk" would be there. Please post an update here if/when you find out!