swithcing to tier 1 or extension

[vignesh]

Hi all,
I am in in uk on hsmp .I got the hsmp through thr Pbs in Mar'2008 however I could come to uk for good only in Nov'08.By God's grace I found a job and started working since jan'09. To qualify for my extension I need to earn 22k which I will by october howver will my not coming to uk till nov create a problem with my extension?

2nd query?
If I earn 26k band by dec I actually qualify for switching to Tier1. Can I do a switch instead of extension? The reason I want to do switch is because I did not come to uk until nov'08 I will not be qualified for ILR after my stay here ie considering current visa extended for 3 yrs.If I do a switch it will be another 3+ 2 yrs in tier 1 which potentially I will earn ILR

Any help on these queries will be appreciated.

Thanks
V

[cheshiregoan]

I am in in uk on hsmp .I got the hsmp through thr Pbs in Mar'2008 however I could come to uk for good only in Nov'08.By God's grace I found a job and started working since jan'09. To qualify for my extension I need to earn 22k which I will by october howver will my not coming to uk till nov create a problem with my extension?

This will not create any problems for you. People are not expected to arrive in the UK the next day after getting the HSMP/Tier 1 approval.

If I earn 26k band by dec I actually qualify for switching to Tier1. Can I do a switch instead of extension? The reason I want to do switch is because I did not come to uk until nov'08 I will not be qualified for ILR after my stay here ie considering current visa extended for 3 yrs.If I do a switch it will be another 3+ 2 yrs in tier 1 which potentially I will earn ILR

I'm a bit unclear about your problem here. By your post I'm guessing you're current HSMP visa is valid until March 2010 and since the HSMP scheme has now closed your extension application will be judged under the Tier 1 rules. If your application is approved, you will receive a Tier 1 (General) visa with validity until March 2013.

[vignesh]

Thanks for ur quick revert.. you are right I will have my HSMP until mar 2010 but I am in risk of losing my job in nov/dec.if I don't find one I still have to show the same 12 consecutive months. Again the question of switching is as I said I will not qualify for ILR after 2013 considering me not being here for 5 yrs. Hence I was thinking if I switch now into tier1 say in dec I will get 3 yrs tier 1 and apply for 2 yr extension in 2013. I am not sure if I can do this in firstvplace and also if I can apply for tier1 extension in 2013 if I just extend my current visa instead of switching.

In a nutshell: can I apply for switching ?
If not will my tier1 will be extended based on the pbs considering the rules don't change in 2013?
If not how can I qualify for ILR?
Sorry if I have made it confusing...let me know if u have questions

[cheshiregoan]

Thanks for ur quick revert.. you are right I will have my HSMP until mar 2010 but I am in risk of losing my job in nov/dec.if I don't find one I still have to show the same 12 consecutive months. Again the question of switching is as I said I will not qualify for ILR after 2013 considering me not being here for 5 yrs. Hence I was thinking if I switch now into tier1 say in dec I will get 3 yrs tier 1 and apply for 2 yr extension in 2013. I am not sure if I can do this in firstvplace and also if I can apply for tier1 extension in 2013 if I just extend my current visa instead of switching.

In a nutshell: can I apply for switching ?
If not will my tier1 will be extended based on the pbs considering the rules don't change in 2013?
If not how can I qualify for ILR?
Sorry if I have made it confusing...let me know if u have questions

You can apply for Tier 1 at any time before expiry of your current visa. Based on my experience and the reply I received from the Home Office when I enquired, if successful, you will receive a Tier 1 visa valid until March 2013.

At that point you will have to re-apply for another non-ILR visa (assuming the rules don't change before then), because you will not be eligible to apply for ILR before November 2013 assuming you satisfy all other requirements.

[push]

Thanks for ur quick revert.. you are right I will have my HSMP until mar 2010 but I am in risk of losing my job in nov/dec.if I don't find one I still have to show the same 12 consecutive months. Again the question of switching is as I said I will not qualify for ILR after 2013 considering me not being here for 5 yrs. Hence I was thinking if I switch now into tier1 say in dec I will get 3 yrs tier 1 and apply for 2 yr extension in 2013. I am not sure if I can do this in firstvplace and also if I can apply for tier1 extension in 2013 if I just extend my current visa instead of switching.

In a nutshell: can I apply for switching ?
If not will my tier1 will be extended based on the pbs considering the rules don't change in 2013?
If not how can I qualify for ILR?
Sorry if I have made it confusing...let me know if u have questions

Someone on HSMP will be treated as extending under Tier-1 and not switching.