Tier 5 to Tier 2 working as a teacher, help!!

Hello,

I've been in the UK since January 2014 on the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme working as a primary school teacher. The school I have been working at wants to keep me on for the next school year but my Tier 5 visa expires January 2016, and they've said they are willing to sponsor me so that I can stay as it is quite a rough school in inner London that finds it difficult to keep staff (the position they want me to fill has just become available now because someone who they recently hired backed out at the last minute). I am aware that my current visa is non-renewable and non-extendable, and from what I've read i'd need to apply for the tier 2 visa, however it seems as though you can't apply for this if you're in the UK? I have no opportunities to go home to Canada any time soon as the school year is just ending now and I will be away traveling all summer, and once I come back to the UK school will be starting up again - does this mean its basically impossible for me to apply for the tier 2 visa so that I can stay and work for them for the full school year? Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks.

amn10 wrote:Hello,

I've been in the UK since January 2014 on the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme working as a primary school teacher. The school I have been working at wants to keep me on for the next school year but my Tier 5 visa expires January 2016, and they've said they are willing to sponsor me so that I can stay as it is quite a rough school in inner London that finds it difficult to keep staff (the position they want me to fill has just become available now because someone who they recently hired backed out at the last minute). I am aware that my current visa is non-renewable and non-extendable, and from what I've read i'd need to apply for the tier 2 visa, however it seems as though you can't apply for this if you're in the UK? I have no opportunities to go home to Canada any time soon as the school year is just ending now and I will be away traveling all summer, and once I come back to the UK school will be starting up again - does this mean its basically impossible for me to apply for the tier 2 visa so that I can stay and work for them for the full school year? Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks.

You need to apply for the Tier 2 using a restricted CoS - which means from outside the UK. You must apply from a country where you have legal residence. If you cannot go back to Canada, you cannot apply for the visa, and thus cannot work in the UK for September. Should have planned this a bit better really.... You will also need to pass the RLMT.

physicskate wrote:

amn10 wrote:Hello,

I've been in the UK since January 2014 on the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme working as a primary school teacher. The school I have been working at wants to keep me on for the next school year but my Tier 5 visa expires January 2016, and they've said they are willing to sponsor me so that I can stay as it is quite a rough school in inner London that finds it difficult to keep staff (the position they want me to fill has just become available now because someone who they recently hired backed out at the last minute). I am aware that my current visa is non-renewable and non-extendable, and from what I've read i'd need to apply for the tier 2 visa, however it seems as though you can't apply for this if you're in the UK? I have no opportunities to go home to Canada any time soon as the school year is just ending now and I will be away traveling all summer, and once I come back to the UK school will be starting up again - does this mean its basically impossible for me to apply for the tier 2 visa so that I can stay and work for them for the full school year? Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks.

You need to apply for the Tier 2 using a restricted CoS - which means from outside the UK. You must apply from a country where you have legal residence. If you cannot go back to Canada, you cannot apply for the visa, and thus cannot work in the UK for September. Should have planned this a bit better really.... You will also need to pass the RLMT.

Thank you for your advice. I will be able to work in the UK for September since my Tier 5 visa is still valid until the end of January 2016, as I previously mentioned, so I'm not worried about that. I was originally planning on leaving after it expires anyways, really it is my school who should have planned this better if they wanted me to stay, so their loss I guess. Just thought I'd ask to see if anyone else knew more about this than I did as I've only started researching it within the last few days and have been thinking that there must be some way to make it work! But I guess if that is the way it is then there's nothing I can do.