Tier 2: retiring while on T2 and extending duration of stay in UK

[kenpimentel]

Background:
- USA citizen
- Have a T2
- Want to retire before end of T2
- I have a wife and a 16 year old that is in UK schools

Question:
I'm trying to figure out how long we can remain in our rented house in UK after I retire (stop working under my T2). I understand my employer has 10 days to inform UK gov about by my last day. I've then heard both 30 day and 60 day notices (not sure which is correct) are generated by UK gov. So, at a minimum, we have either 30 or 60 days.

Can we simply hop over to EU after 30/60 days of my T2 ending and then come back under a UK Short Stay visa? This appears to let me stay for an additional 6 months. My 16 year old would want to finish her schooling at the UK school and we would need those 6 months to do that.

thanks

[quoala]

I think it makes sense to stay until you receive the letter from home office that you need to leave the UK. This letter can take up to few months even, so it's unknown the end date of your stay. if you leave and come back you are still on Tier 2 until you receive the deadline.

So I would stay until then and afterwards I'd leave and come back to get 6 months stay as I wish.

[kenpimentel]

Hi,
I'd like advice on how to extend our stay in UK after I retire under a T2.

Situation:
- USA citizens, wife, 16 yr old child
- child in UK sixth form - we want to continue with this after I retire
- T2 is valid for 2.5 more years
- Thinking of retiring in 1 year, so 1.5 years on T2 at time of retiring
- Want to live where we are for at least 6 months after I retire

Questions:
#1 When I give notice, I know my company is expected to give last day info to UK gov. Do we have 30 or 60 days from the time the government sends us a notice of T2 termination? Or, do we have to leave in 30 or 60 days from last day of work?

#2 Could we extend by six months simply by leaving the UK and going to another country and re-entering under a tourist visa? I would get health insurance to cover that period. I would want my child to continue in school.

#3 At what point does the UK government take away our UK biometrics card?

[CR001]

1. When you give notice is entirely your choice. Your employer has to inform HO within 10 days after your last day of work. 60 days curtailment starts from the date HOs letter is dated. Curtailment letters can take a few months to get sent out. If you leave the UK though, your visa will almost be cancelled immediately and you won't be notified or will simply get an email.

2. If you enter the UK as a tourist, you cannot benefit of any of the state facilities in the same way as a tier 2 visa holder, which includes property rental etc.

3. They don't 'take it away' but if your visa cancelled or curtailed and you try to enter the UK with it, it will be confiscated and you will likely not be permitted to enter the UK as your purpose has change.

[kenpimentel]

Thanks for the quick response.

It sounds like we have to be careful not to leave the UK during the time of last day at work and receiving the official notice plus the 60 days. During that whole period, we are still T2 qualified.

We could then leave and come back in under Tourist visa, but we'd have an issue with the public school it seems. I'm not sure what you mean by "property rental" - that would seem to be unrelated as we're renting a house from a private landlord.

cheers,
ken

[CR001]

You can only tent in the UK if you have valid leave to remain, ie not as a visitor. Landlords face thousand of pound fines for renting to people who are not permitted to live in the UK.

Visa checks, tenant checks are mandatory (right to reside) and came into effect a couple of years ago.

[kenpimentel]

Interesting, so if we move into a hotel, we're probably fine, but we have to stop renting a place. Thanks, didn't see that consequence.