Sponsoring Standard Visitor Visa when my Tier2 UK Visa is due to expire

[RPAN]

Hello,

I am employed in an IT company and am currently residing in UK on Tier2 ICT WP which is due to expire by 30-May-2018. My employer will be filing for my WP extension by one more year (till 30-May-2019) in next 5-10 days. Usually it takes about a month to get a decision on extension, after which you go for biometrics and then it takes another 1-2 months to receive the new BRP card - this means that I will have my new BR card (with validity till 30-May-2019) only sometime in June, although I might get a decision letter by May 2018.

I intend to invite my brother and his family to visit UK for 3 weeks in June-2018. I was thinking of sponsoring them, but may not be able to show my visa validity beyond 30-May-2018 as I would not have received my new BRP card when they apply for visitor visa (sometime in mid-May).

I want to know -
1) If I receive the decision letter of my extension, can I send scanned copy of the same as a proof of my visa validity. Or is the BRP card mandatory to show as proof ?

2) Is it better that my brother applies of his own rather than me sponsoring him. He works in a private company and earns about 1.5 lakhs/month, has a decent bank balance (about Rs 5 lakh) and has a property in his name in India. He will be coming with family (wife-housewife, son-working in private company earning around Rs 30,000 per month, daughter-studying in college)

3) If my brother applies on his own, does he need to show confirmed air tickets and hotel bookings in UK for all the 21 days he would be here. If yes, then can I book the hotels (refundable bookings) from here in his name ? Or does he need to show proof that he only has done the hotel bookings (does he need show proof that he used his own funds for the booking, eg. proof that his bank balance got reduced by the amount that he spent on UK hotel booking ??

Regards,
RP

[RPAN]

Can anyone please help? Just want to know if applying one ones own (without sponsorship) weaken's the case in any way?? Is there anyone who has applied one ones own without sponsorship - Anything specific to take care ?