Can i apply for Tier 1 extension way in advance?

[Ariadna]

Can i apply for the extension of my Tier 1 months before my current Tier 1 (the first one) expires? Or will it have implications for the subsequent ILR application? In order to then qualify for the ILR how many days before the Tier 1 expires should I apply for my Tier 1 extension?

[sts96508]

yes you can apply for T1 extension months before it expires. further leave to remain will be from your extn application decision date, not from when your T1 expires. so you may end up needing more T1 extensions to make the 5 year ILR requirement.

[Ariadna]

Right, but you can't just keep applying for Tier 1 more than 2 times can you. So really, in order to make up the 5 years of stay in the UK, i should apply as close to the date my current Tier 1 expires as possible right?

[sts96508]

as per current rules - you can keep applying for T1 extensions any number of times.

your assumption is correct - if there is no good reason to apply significantly earlier than expiry date, you should apply close to expiry date to avoid unnecesary extensions