Skilled Worker curtailment pending – application for LTR from outside UK to preserve ILR clock?

Hi all,

I’m currently in a bit of a tricky situation and would really appreciate any guidance. I was on a Skilled Worker visa in the UK since Aug 2024. My employment ended, and my previous employer reported the end of my sponsorship to the Home Office around the beginning of May 2025. I left the UK mid-May 2025. As of now (mid-June), I have not yet received a curtailment letter, when I check my Right to Work status, it still shows I hold a valid Skilled Worker visa.

Now, a new UK employer is interested in sponsoring me. However, they would like to engage me as a remote contractor outside the UK as a short trial period before making the decision to sponsor me. I understand that if I apply for Skilled Worker Entry Clearance outside the UK, it would reset my ILR 5-year clock.

My main question is:
Is there any way I can apply for Leave to Remain (LTR) – i.e. switch sponsors despite currently being outside the UK, since my leave hasn’t yet been curtailed or expired? I would like to not have to restart my ILR timer if possible.

Secondary questions:
1. Would re-entering the UK (e.g. as a visitor or before a curtailment takes effect) allow me to submit an in-country LTR application?
3. Since my Skilled Worker visa has not been curtailed, would doing the short trial period as a remote contractor count as breaching my visa?
4. Do I still need to take a TB test when applying from overseas (my country of residence normally requires so), even though I was just in the UK until mid-May?

Thanks in advance for any advice or similar experiences!

There is no way to apply for LTR under the skilled worker route without CoS.

Unfortunately, your continuous residence will be broken 14 days after your permission expires. As you are currently outside the UK your permission will expire immediately on curtailment.
Coming back as a visitor won't change this.
You can take contracted work as long as you are outside the UK.

Trying to re-enter on your current visa may lead to refusal at the border as the visa conditions no longer met.

That's my understanding of your situation.

Thank you for the reply Razergd1.

Totally in agreement on your points re LTR and potential complications upon re-entry. It seems that, in my situation, the safest bet would be to apply for Skilled Worker EC regardless of whether the Home Office has finished processing my curtailment, since I'm outside the UK already.

I am also curious on the right to work checks for a contractor. Since my current skilled worker leave has not been curtailed - if my employer were to conduct a right to work check it might indicate that I am employed elsewhere as a skilled worker. was wondering if I would have to go through the employer checking service, or would overseas contractors usually not have to go through right to work checks?

Any advice would be helpful, thank you.