Switching from Tier 2 to Global Talent

Stage 2
1

Hey all,

I have already been in the UK for 2.5 years under a Tier 2 (General) Visa. I have received my endorsement under “Exceptional Talent” and now applying to switch to the Global Talent Visa. I am looking for advise on:

  1. When can I apply for ILR? My understanding is that I can apply for ILR as soon as I complete 3 years in the UK and my time on Tier 2 (General) will add up? Which means I could apply for ILR in 6 months from now?

  2. If that’s the case, what length of visa duration should I be applying for? Would it be risky to just go for 1 year? or should I just take a longer duration and pay the NHS surcharge for the subsequent years?

Is there any other scenario I should be thinking through while making this switch? For example my visa expiring while still waiting for ILR… an ILR getting denied, etc…

Any pointers would be appreciated! Thanks.

2

Hi @dpp,

I am endorsed under Exceptional Talent and have already worked in the UK on Tier2 visa for almost 1.5 years.

To be on the safe side, I applied for a 3 years GT visa rather than 2 years in my case. Perhaps 2 years would have been enough.

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I has a similar case as yours and I did some research and I am relatively certain that Tier 2 General + Tech Nation visa time can be added up to make 3 years for your ILR eligibility.

If you don’t have any dependents, applying for 1 year seems to be a safe bet.

If you have dependents, then it gets a bit more complicated.

You need to figure out whether applying for 1 year first and then reapplying for their visa a year later for 2 years each is better than applying for 3 years for everyone to get them across to their ILR requirements.

I applied in September 2020. IHS fee was going to go up from £400 per year to £650 in October and I realised I am just better off applying 3 years for everyone in one-go - it was cheaper than splitting into 2 visa applications. However, that may not be the case any longer, so you need to do the maths.

If you are going to save a £100 here or there, I’d suggest just getting a longer tenure visa sorted out in one go, just to avoid inconvenience and interruptions to travel plans that come with every visa application. However, if you are going to save a lot of money, it might be worth the trouble…

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Thanks both, for the point of view! Appreciate it.

5

Hi @Shreeniwas_Iyer / @dpp
Thanks for your info.
I am currently in the exact same situation. I have been in UK for 2 years and 10 months and got my endorsement for Global Talent.
I was wondering if it all went OK with your ILR applications? Did they properly add up Tier 2 with Global Talent?

I am trying to figure out how long I should apply for. (Don’t have dependents)

Kind regards
MoS

6

Yes I got my ILR and they considered my Tier 2 time as well in the 3 years requirement.

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Hi @Shreeniwas_Iyer
Really appreciate your kind and quick reply.
Thanks very much :blush:

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@dpp, it is up to you to decide, do you want to either waste 1-2 extra years IHS fee or chance departing the UK early. Being in the UK for a year, you can earn those ~£400 per year, so why risk?

@Shreeniwas_Iyer, by the way, Global Talent Dependants waits five years till ILR. It does not depend on the main applicant route (Talent or Promise).

Best wishes,
Savva.