Returning to the UK after a few years break

Hello

I've got Tier 1 (General) visa which expires in 2011.
I might need to leave the UK for a couple of years.
Will I be able to return to the UK and work here with my current visa (provided it's still valid) or it becomes void after certain peroid of time spent outside the UK?

Thank you for your answers!

You can. Until your visa expires in 2011.

If you plan to leave the country for couple of years and return before your initial Tier 1 expiry you are taking a risk. (considering your visa expires in 2011 and couple of years means you will be returing in 2011)

Just keep in mind on the extention part as you have to claim points by your earnings in last 1 year.

It shoud be fine if you return exactally one year prioer to your visa expiry. Also you might face problems in the ILR Application as you will have to go for 2nd extn in this case.

Thanks for replies!

What kind of risk do I take if I return, let's say, 6 months before the visa expires? I can claim points for my earnings made outside the UK, can't I?

As for settlement, is it normal to have a 2nd tier 1 extension in a case like mine or I might not get it at all?

Marat wrote:Thanks for replies!

What kind of risk do I take if I return, let's say, 6 months before the visa expires? I can claim points for my earnings made outside the UK, can't I?

As for settlement, is it normal to have a 2nd tier 1 extension in a case like mine or I might not get it at all?

How would that make sense, claiming pionts for earnings outside the UK??
Your visa is for you to work in the UK

The bottom line is you might aswell leave UK and reapply from your home country when you plan to return as you wont be benefiting from extension. This is mainly because your clock for ILR will be reset in the time you are not here.

As you said, you can show your earning from Home Country and get an extension. Theres nothing stopping you from that. But it will be the same criteria as EC for Tier 1 in that time.

Hope you understand.

confusedhsmp wrote:The bottom line is you might aswell leave UK and reapply from your home country when you plan to return as you wont be benefiting from extension. This is mainly because your clock for ILR will be reset in the time you are not here.

As you said, you can show your earning from Home Country and get an extension. Theres nothing stopping you from that. But it will be the same criteria as EC for Tier 1 in that time.

Hope you understand.

Thats not necessary to reapply, he can go for extension but he would need a good one year's worth salary to show for. If he wants to reenter 6 months before it expires then he better make an impressive amount in that 6 months from a UK source.
This nonsense about showing monies elsewhere is foolhardy for the extenstion. If he wants to do that, then yes it would be better to just reapply and start over. Keep in mind that by that time Tier 1 might not exist anymore

I get the general idea. Thank you all for replies!