VERY URGENT - PSW expires on 3rd Jan – Switch to Tier 2 Gen

Hello Manci and Respected Gurus,

I am on Tier 1 PSW and I am switching to Tier 2 General under New Entrant salary. My employer is a UK university which has some 4000+ full-time employees. However, the HR team is a set of idiots – and they particularly dislike ‘immigrants’ for some strange reason. As a result, I have to do the entire Tier 2 General application myself. All that they have given me (after much chasing) is a colour print letter stating my CoS number and a paragraph saying that they are ‘providing me maintenance support for the first month of my employment’. I have been working for them for more than a year now!

I was wondering whether this letter (made to look like a letter head) is what is called a Certificate of Sponsorship? My current visa expires on 3rd January 2014. Sadly, the HR team will be back on 6th January. Even after their return, I don’t expect them to help me with any further information in anyway. In addition to this letter, she has also sent me a printout (supposedly taken at end of CoS application process) which says ‘Single CoS assigned’, and has information like CoS number, Date assigned, Expiry Date, Passport number, Name, Date of Birth, Gender.

Can someone please tell me whether this is enough? I expected the certificate to have details like my Job Title, annual salary, end of contract date, etc. Also a mention that because I am on PSW, my salary should be that of a new entrant. However, I wont get any further help from HR now. I am so stressed and have no clue how am I going to get through this. I ought to send the application today, as 27th might be too late (Post Office may be closed or busy in holiday season).

Please please help.

Many thanks,
Bharati

Dont be stressed our just relax, how long ago you applied for you COS? Do you have bank statement on your own which can show maintenance funds for upto 3 months?

Thank you so much for your prompt reply. My CoS was generated on 20th December 2013 and expires on 21st March 2014. My bank took a payment from my current account even after I had paid the credit card bill. Due to this reason, it went below £900 once. Hence, my employer has ticked in CoS that they are ready to maintain the funds for me. The sponsor is A-rated.
Thanks again.

you shouldnt bother and post your application, COS is more about the number rather than having an appropriate fancy letterhead paper, as long as you have you right COS number that should be fine.

I too feel so.. But dont know what HR has entered while generating CoS. I am filling up an online application now, and looks like I cant send the documents today. It will be Friday, the 27th.

Do you know what a UKBA reference number is? Is it the 'Case Reference Number' that looks like 015551234 on Biometric letter OR 'Our Reference Number' on yet another letter that looks like PB4478012345/001?

I dont have any reference number for my initial student visa application from India. Is this a problem?

Many thanks!

A Home Office reference number is the number on letters you may have received, it's not necessary.

Thanks Amber. I have entered the number starting with PB like mentioned above, which was mentioned in the letter of acknowledgement of my Tier 4 extension application which was differed to Tier 1 PSW. It is relieving to know that this number if wrong, wont harm my application.

I have now completed the online form, and I am about to make the payment. The CoS also looks ok (my original question). The only documents which I am going to send are:
1. Passport
2. Biometric card
3. 2 passport photos
4. Degree certificate

Hope it goes well. About to make online payment..

It is a pity HR didn't give you a printout of the whole CoS. You ought to make sure that in your application the 3 items below match the corresponding entries in the CoS - hopefully you know, or can establish from your offer letter or contract, what these are

job title
gross annual salary not including allowances
allowances

Note:
What is the date of your application? (Applying online inside the UK)
The application date is the date when you submit your application form and pay your application fee online. Your application wont become valid until your supporting documents are received and your biometric information is enrolled.