In this video, I explain how to go from a tier 2 (intra-company transfer) visa to indefinite leave to remain.
Unfortunately, if you were granted your Tier 2 (intra-company transfer) visa after 6th April 2010, then it is not a visa which leads to permanent residence (indefinite leave to remain).
So, if you have been on the Tier 2 (ICT) visa for 5 years, then your options are:
- To extend it for a further 4 years. This would require your employer to increase your salary to at least £120,000 per annum (including allowances and guaranteed bonuses). This would bring you up to the maximum stay of 5 years;
- Switch to a start-up or innovator visa;
- Leave the UK and come a year later on another work visa. You would need to wait 12 months until the ‘cooling off’ period has passed. This stops you from applying for a Tier 2 (ICT) or (General) visa for 12 months, starting from the day after your Tier 2 (ICT) visa expires;
- Come back to the UK on a visitor visa. There is actually an ICT sub-category of the visitor visa rules. It you can attend business meetings but unfortunately cannot provide services.
There are no plans by the government to scrap the cooling off period after 2020, but I will be providing any updates.