Venkat77

CAn any one, please advice what is the difference between Tier2 ICT Long Term Staff ( Unrestricted CoS) and Tier2 General Visa ?

In terms of

* Benefits & Cons

Also

Restricted CoS / Unrestricted CoS


In Tier2 ICT, can I Switch over to Any contract or any company within the Visa Period ?

I would be most thankful, if I get the response please.

Thanks,
Venkat

Pollyana

This forum doesn't really cater for people applying for work visas for the UK, you would possibly be better searching for one that specialises in that type of visa.

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Under the stricter rules changes from 6 April 2010

Tier 2 (ICT)

• Limited to 5 years total maximum in the UK.
• It now does not lead to settlement (UK citizenship).
• You must now be working for that company in your home country for at least 12 months and must now earn a set wage (decided by the uK government).
• You cannot switch (in the UK) to Tier 2 General.
• You will have to serve a cooling off period of 1 year outside before being allowed to apply for Tier 2 General.
• If you leave the UK and then want another Tier 2 ICT later, you will need to have served a 1 year cooling off period outside the UK.

Tier 2 General may lead to settlement after 5 years. That depends on your sponsor; your salary level when you apply for ILR; whether you have commited crimes in the UK (driving offences and cautions are now included too).

• The total time on any Tier 2 visa will not exceed 6 years.
• If you leave the UK and apply for another Tier 2 General visa, you will be subject to a 1 year cooling off period outside the UK.
• From April 2010, this visa is only for graduate level jobs and must be at the correct salary (graduate jobs and salary are set by the UK government).
• Those who last had a UK visa as a Student (Tier 4) are exempt from the need for the sponsor to conduct a Resident Market Labour Test (to ensure there is no UK or EU citizen who can do this job).

• Those who have to apply outside the UK, have to get their sponsor to apply for a Resticted Cos.
• Restricted CoS is limited to about 20,600 per year for all non-EUs
• Restricted CoS applications are decided by a panal who meet every month.
• Someone who has studied in the UK as a student and their Tier 4 visa is their present visa, has an unrestricted COS from their sponsor and there is no limit to this number.

There are easier ways for Tier2 (General) if your job is on the UK's shortages list.

If your sponsor decides to not sponsor you anymore, being allowed to stay until the end of your visa if it still has 6 months to run, has been removed and it is now 60 days. Those on a Tier 2 (ICT) must use that time to close their affairs and leave the UK. Those on a Tier 2 (General) can look for another sponosr during that time and that sponsor will need to run a RMLT and issue a restricted COS.

If you have any other questions, you are better off asking on http://www.immigrationboards.com/uk-...onsored-visas/ They keep up to date with all working visa changes.