Switching Tier 4 to Tier 2 Dependent

[karenlee]

Hey,

I'm on a Tier 2 General visa - valid for another 2.5 years. My partner is currently on Tier 4 visa and we were hoping he can switch to Tier 2 General but he's struggling to find a sponsor. His visa expires end of January 2017 (in 2 months).
We're thinking the best option now is to switch his visa to Tier 2 Dependent.

A few questions:
1) Will he be able to switch from Tier 4 to Tier 2 Dependent IN the UK? Or does he need to go back to his home country to do that?
1) We are currently engaged - so we'd need to do marriage paperwork then apply for visa - will it problematic in terms of them expecting us to be married for a longer time for dependent visa? We have a lot of proof to show for our relationship over the past few years.
2) I read that its better for dependent to apply for visa alongside main applicant, since that hasn't happened - what are the challenges of him switching to tier 2 dependent visa on his own?

Any tips at all - or similar experience, do let me know.

Thanks.

[iworker]

1. yes, allowed within uk.
2. as long as u can get married and have a marriage certificate before his visa expires.
3. no problem applying separately.

[Casa]

You should be aware that in order for foreign nationals to marry in the UK the intention to marry can only be registered with a Home Office Registry Office.

The Registrar is then legally bound to notify the HO who can then extend the notification period from 28 to 70 days in order to interview you both separately (if they choose to do so) before the wedding can take place. A visa close to expiry often flags up concerns.

If your partner's visa expires in Jan 17, you may not have time to marry if the registration period is extended to 70 days.