Tier 2 ICT to Tier 4 (Student) on a part time MSc

[napstera]

Hello,

I am in UK on a Tier 2 ICT visa. I have spent 3 years already and recently renewed the visa for 2 more years. I want to pursue a 2-year MSc Data Science part time program. Here are the doubts that i want to clarify:
1. Can i do full time contracting (in IT) while on a Tier-4 visa in a part time course?
2. Can i apply for Tier 4 visa from UK?
3. After 2 years of Tier-4 can i move to tier-2 general with an employer without serving any cool-off outside UK?
4. Is it easy to find a Tier-2 General sponsor (employer) after the course?


Regards

[CR001]

1. Can i do full time contracting (in IT) while on a Tier-4 visa in a part time course?

You cannot work full time on a Tier 4 student visa. You are restricted to 20 hours per week. My understanding is also that you cannot study 'part time' on a tier 4 student visa.

https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa

2. Can i apply for Tier 4 visa from UK?

Yes.

3. After 2 years of Tier-4 can i move to tier-2 general with an employer without serving any cool-off outside UK?

Yes.

4. Is it easy to find a Tier-2 General sponsor (employer) after the course?

You need to find one who is on the list of HO approved Tier 2 sponsors nearer the time and post your questions in the Tier 2 sub forum.

[napstera]

1. Can i do full time contracting (in IT) while on a Tier-4 visa in a part time course?

You cannot work full time on a Tier 4 student visa. You are restricted to 20 hours per week. My understanding is also that you cannot study 'part time' on a tier 4 student visa.

https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa

2. Can i apply for Tier 4 visa from UK?

Yes.

3. After 2 years of Tier-4 can i move to tier-2 general with an employer without serving any cool-off outside UK?

Yes.

4. Is it easy to find a Tier-2 General sponsor (employer) after the course?

You need to find one who is on the list of HO approved Tier 2 sponsors nearer the time and post your questions in the Tier 2 sub forum.

Many thanks for your responses.

The UK immigration website https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa/eligibility mentions the below point:
"part-time leading to a qualification that’s at least level 7 on the Ofqual register"
Hence i have this understanding that i can study "part-time" while on a tier 4 visa.
However, I think 20 hour work rule still applies, nowhere mentioned clearly for part-time though.

[sah10406]

1. Can i do full time contracting (in IT) while on a Tier-4 visa in a part time course?

You cannot work full time on a Tier 4 student visa. You are restricted to 20 hours per week. My understanding is also that you cannot study 'part time' on a tier 4 student visa.

https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa

A Tier 4 visa can be issued for part-time postgraduate study, but it will have a prohibition on all working.

See paragraph 245ZY(c)(iii) about Tier 4 work. Since part-time postgraduate study was allowed under Tier 4, the rules were amended so that the permitted work is only for those on full-time courses.