Help! Tier 2 Visa start date after 3 months of COS date

[ZAGill]

Hi,

Can someone please help urgently. I applied for Tier 2 Visa and the 3 month's duration on COS expires on 20th Sep whereas the Visa start date given on my passport is 28th Sep so I cannot enter UK before that date. I applied for biometrics on 28th August and received my passport with the visa stamped on 18th Sep.

My question is, Is this a mistake and should the visa have been granted from 28th Aug (Date of biometrics) Secondly and most importantly would I be able to enter UK and work on the same COS now as Visa date is after COS validity date of 3 months.

Please help!

[CR001]

You are confusing different things.

The visa start date is from the date of approval and not the date of application or biometric appointment.

The CoS is simple VALID for 3 months and must be used WITHIN the 3 months to apply for a visa. This is completely separate to the visa start date.

[ZAGill]

Okay thank you so that was only for applying for visa i-e. it had to be within 3 months and not related to visa duration.

[ZAGill]

Got the passport stamped with visa on 18th Sep...usually in prior experience date has always been a few days earlier than when we receive the passport, as you said it is the decision date so not sure why this time around a forward date was put as 28th Sep. Caused a bit of confusion and panic.

[CR001]

What is the start date of your employment in the CoS?

Did you specify a travel date in your application?

[ZAGill]

Start date july...I think I had put 5th October as intended travel date instead of 5th Sep in error and wrote a cover letter saying that but I believe visa officer might not have read it

[CR001]

Nothing you can do then if you put 5th October. You can enter the UK from 28th September and start at any point as long as your sponsor has updated your employment start date (again separate to the CoS start date) in the SMS system.