Should I vary My application ?

[anotherguy]

Hello Members,
Thank you for all your help. This forum has been a great source of information for me.

I am on a Tier2 visa and applied to switch to Tier1 General in March 2011.
It's been an year almost and haven't received a decision yet.
It is a relatively straight forward application with all my earnings from a single UK employment. Have contacted the HO through my MP a few times and have been told that the application is on hold pending the outcome of verification checks. But it doesn't seem like they have carried out any checks at all in all these months.

My current visa is expiring in 10 days. I am now worried that if the Tier1 is rejected for whatever reasons, after my visa has expired, then I won't even be able to apply for Tier2 extension ( my employer has already got a COS for me). So I am planning to vary my existing application to a Tier2 extension. Members, What do you advise should I wait for Tier-1 or go for Tier2 extension ?

If I decide to vary the application, will those pending verification checks have any negative effect on the Tier-2 extension application ? or will even this one may go into waiting forever ?

Your suggestions will be of great help to me.