Visit to the UK on a tourist visa during cooling off period

[imo1810]

Hi

I am currently waiting for the 2 year cooling off period to expire before submitting my tier 2 general visa application (employer sponsored). I currently hold a valid UK Business visitor visa issued in 2014 valid til 2016. Am I able to travel to the UK on my business visitor visa for a week to undertake permitted business activities (I will be negotiating work with a UK Client to be performed in my home country as an independant consultant while I wait for my tier 2 general visa application to conclude.

Will the cooling off period be jeopardised by my visit to the UK for tourist/business purposes or will it still be calculated from the last time I departed the UK using my tier 2 status (which was nearly 12 months ago)

Can you refer me to the relevant legislation which states that my cooling off period will not reset due to a short visit to the UK on a visitor visa?

[CR001]

2 year cooling off period

Where did you get this form? The cooling off period is only 12 months from the date you left the UK.

I would suggest that you not enter the UK during the cooling off period of 12 months, which from what you say, is not long to go (dates would be helpful)

[imo1810]

apologies i meant the 12 month cooling off period not 2 year...

basically i would like to know if i can visit the uk as a visitor in the next 2 weeks while i wait for my tier 2 cooling off period of 12 months to expire on the 14 november 2015. I understand that it would be better for me to wait until the period expires before i visit but i would benefit greatly from a visit soon so that i can assess where and how i will relocate my life to the uk.

i have a valid business visitor visa on which i would like to visit as i believe that it is now possible to enter the uk as a tourist on a business visitor visa now that the visitor visa and the business visitor visa have been combined into one. i got this from the following paragraph off gov.uk

https://www.gov.uk/government/world-loc ... categories

"What if my visa was issued before 24 April?
People who hold a valid visit visa that was issued prior to 24 April 2015, which is when the changes were introduced, will be able to use this to enter the UK provided they are still a genuine visitor. They will be able to use this visa to carry out the additional permitted activities.

For example, a person with a general visit visa will be able to use this to enter the UK to attend business meetings, undertake short-term study and carry out incidental volunteering. People who hold a valid student visit visa that was issued prior to 24 April 2015 will still be able to use this to enter under the new short-term student route until that visa expires."

If you feel that I will unduly risk my tier 2 general visa application by visiting as a tourist prior to the 12 months expiring please indicate this again as I would rather be safe than sorry.

I believe that many people who are committing to a job on a tier 2 general visa would potentially like to visit the UK beforehand even just to get a "general feel" for the place of employment and potential new employers. Also if somebody was on a tier 2 visa before and they then accept a job in the uk requiring a new tier 2 visa an inability to visit the uk during the cooling off period would put an end to any chance of a face to face interview or meeting between the employer and the employer while the employee waits for his cooling off period to expire

please advise

[geriatrix]

There is no law which states that a person who was in the UK as a Tier2 migrant in the preceding 12 months cannot or should not travel to UK as a visitor during the "12 month" period.

The essence of the 12 month cooling off period is NOT to ban Tier 2 migrants (who have since exited UK) from travelling to UK in those 12 months .... it is to restrict them from entering UK again as Tier 2 migrants in those 12 months (unless they can find a job in UK that pays >£155K).

[CR001]

There is no law which states that a person who was in the UK as a Tier2 migrant in the preceding 12 months cannot or should not travel to UK as a visitor during the "12 month" period.

The essence of the 12 month cooling off period is NOT to ban Tier 2 migrants (who have since exited UK) from travelling to UK in those 12 months .... it is to restrict them from entering UK again as Tier 2 migrants in those 12 months (unless they can find a job in UK that pays >£155K).

Thank you for the clarification.