Changing employers-please help

[oleger]

Can someone help me please, as I'm getting more and more confused.

My story:
I've been working for the same employer from October 2010. Last November, I got a new visa (moved from the post-study on Tier 2). My director is not a nice person (to put it into softer words). Since other boss left the company everything just went wrong - more than half of the staff have left now, clients left, delayed salaries, etc ...

Then there was a man, the friend of a current director, who decided to invest in a company without paying out debts of 160K. Once the company closed (went into administration), then someone from government came over, valued us, put the price (employees, contracts, equipment ...). A week later, "investor" bought us for 11K ... So,now it's the new company, new office, no debts ....

I was told by UKBA when I called them, that the new employer has 28 days to license and deploy our visas in their new company. This, in fact no one did it, and last Monday I quit, I have no more trust to director left, always frustrated, and our wages arrears are just growing.

And now the questions:

1) I know I have 60 days to find a new job. Are 60 days counted from the date of me leaving or when the company got closed? If the date of dismissal, then it means I have until 11-th of May to get the new job offer or to actually receive a new visa?

2) If the labor market test should take 4 weeks, than it significantly reduces the time for me to look for other jobs - 4 weeks of the test, another week on the certificate and then I would go to apply in person. It turns out I'm left now with only a week to find new job. Or can I somehow have an extra week week or so as well as 60 days?

3) I already have an offer by umbrella company and waiting for the confirmation from the normal employer. Anybody have an experience of getting a visa through an umbrella company? How suspicious UKBA will be that the salary jumped dramatically from 35K to more than 80K? In general, what are the risks?

4) In 2 weeks time I have to fly to Germany for 3 days. When I return to London, at the airport officers will ask me questions. What do I say? That I'm unemployed, but having a lot of interviews, or what?

5) Absolutely non-immigration question, but are there any options to get my money out of my old employer? They owe me about 1500

Many thanks in advance!

[oleger]

Anyone any ideas?