Indian01

Hi,
I am considering applying for study visa for myself. I understand I can only 20 hours while studying and FT while on vacation. I have following queries -
1) Is it true that while I am on study-visa my spouse can work FT in any industry?
2) My course is 3 year long and after completion for 2 years I will get work permit, that will make my stay 5 years in UK legally, will I be able to apply for PR/ citizenship after that or is it 5 years of work after completing college that I can apply for cirizenship? Please help me with these queries. TIA.

BritInParis

1) Correct.
2) Any time spent on a Tier 4 visa won’t lead to ILR under the five year route. You will need to spent another five years on a visa which does lead to settlement like a Tier 2 General visa in order to be eligible.

Indian01

Thank you for answering my query. So I think then my spouse also will not be able to apply for citizenship if he will work using the work-permit that he gets due to my Tier4 (study) visa.
1) How easy it is to find an employer in IT for a senior architect or QA/ BA job who can do Tier 2 visa once I am in the UK? Wondering if after studying I will be able to get employer easily to sponsor me.

2) When I am working on Tier 2 after completing my college, my spouse also gets work-permit for those 2 years, will it be considered as Tier 2 visa for him or will it be Tier 4 visa for him?

3) Lets say he joins tier 2 licensed employer but under Tier 4 dependent visa, do companies willingly convert Tier 2 visa for talented/ experienced professional or are there any paperwork or monetary proofs that employer has to show which can limit employer to convert to Tuer 2 visa for immigrants?

Thank you in advance once again for reading and responding to my queries.

BritInParis

1) I don’t work in IT recruitment but it is common for firms to sponsor talented graduates for Tier 2 visas. The process will be competitive however.

2) If you switch from a Tier 4 to Tier 2 visa then your husband will switch from a Tier 4 Dependant to a Tier 2 Dependant. If you’re referring to the new two year post-study Graduate route then any time spent on that visa won’t count towards settlement.

3) There are salary thresholds and various other restrictions for employers to overcome to sponsor a non-EU citizen for a Tier 2 visa but if your husband’s employer is willing and able to then they can do and you can become a Dependant on your husband’s visa.

Indian01

Thank you for your answers, really appreciate it.