Tier 2 - cos approved - 2 options given to proceed

[roryb]

I'd like to get advice for my current visa situation.

I was offered a job offer by a company in London. I started working as a contractor early September while waiting for visa process to start until now. I signed my contract as a full-time employee and left London to go back to Malaysia (I hold Malaysian passport) to start the Tier 2 visa process and 2 weeks ago my CoS was approved. Last week, I was told the company just lost its investor and would need to let go half of the office. I was briefed and given two options.

First option is to go with the visa. I’ll have to pay for my part which is going to be £1430. The company representative said that once I'm there, I would probably be made redundant in a week’s time with a week’s notice. I will then have about 3 months to be in the country which they suggested me to find another sponsor. The second option is to end my contract as contractor as soon as it ends and that's it.

I need to know if there are going to be advantages/benefits (for another company to hire me and sponsor) of having a work visa and then being made redundant? Will it be more likely for the new company to hire me if I got this visa than if I didn’t have one? I need to know if there are going to be any advantages for going through with the last stage of the visa because I will be paying quite a lot of money on my part.

[CR001]

What visa did or do you hold before?

[roryb]

What visa did or do you hold before?

I'm not holding any visa at the moment. I'm in the process of applying Tier 2 when this is happening.

[CR001]

. I was offered a job offer by a company in London. I started working as a contractor early September while waiting for visa process to start until now. I signed my contract as a full-time employee and left London to go back to Malaysia (I hold Malaysian passport) to start the Tier 2 visa process and 2 weeks ago

So how were you contracting/working in the UK if you did not have a visa??

[roryb]

. I was offered a job offer by a company in London. I started working as a contractor early September while waiting for visa process to start until now. I signed my contract as a full-time employee and left London to go back to Malaysia (I hold Malaysian passport) to start the Tier 2 visa process and 2 weeks ago

So how were you contracting/working in the UK if you did not have a visa??

I'm working as a freelance and then was offered a Tier 2 position. That's not my concern. I'm back in my home country facing the situation I mentioned. I explained it that above that I started as a contractor - or other people would call Freelancer.

[CR001]

You are missing the point entirely. I asked what visa you held when you were LAST in the UK.

If you were in the UK as a 'visitor' you are NOT permitted to do ANY kind of work and you would be in breach of your visitor status if you did and this can have consequences for any future visa application.

[fielddrive]

For a start, it will cost you a lot of money, like thousands. Have you considered that?

[shearmagic]

no point going if you are going to be made redundant soon