I'm switching to ILR, wife to stay on Tier 2 dependent. Advice needed.

Hi,

Both my visa (Tier 2) and my wife's visa (Tier 2 dependent visa) will expire on 6 October 2020.
I first enter UK on 1 October 2015 and my wife on 1 Feb 2019. My plan is to get myself switching to ILR while my wife continue on her Tier 2 dependent visa. Questions are:

1. I can only apply for ILR earliest on 28 days before 1 October 2020, do I have to get my ILR approved (i.e via priority service) before my wife can apply for extension of her Tier 2 dependent visa.

2. How does my wife apply for Tier 2 dependent visa extension separately? I can't find any online application link for that. What I could find is only Tier 2 extension which is asking me to make application for extension together with her?

3. Do I have to ask my employer to issue a CoS for me so that my wife could extend her Tier 2 dependent visa?

1. You can apply for ilr based o. Tier 2 no sooner than within 28 days before the initial visa ISSUE date. It is not the date of entry. Ideally you should get your ilr first. If you apply together and your ilr fails, her application will also fail.

2. https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-general/family-members
https://visas-immigration.service.gov.u ... 1577027492

3. No, your employer is irrelevant if you hold ilr and you do not need a cos for her extension. She is dependent on you not your employer.

You need to prove £630 maintenance funds for 90 days and evidence of cohabitation in both names.

Thanks a lot for your reply, it's really informative. If I wanna cut the fee, I believe I can extend my tier 2 visa for another year at the end of my fifth year of tier 2 visa, together with my wife visa extension, then use the standard service for ilr. Less time pressure as well I believe? Any advice?

Yes, you could do that.