Arrived on a visitor visa (C) on
01/01/01
Visa valid until 18/06/01
Left on 11/06/01
New student visa issued on 23/06/01
Arrived in the UK on 02/07/01
Various extension, all applied and granted before the expiry of the previous ones
Last student visa valid until 31/10/09
As my employer was taking long time to sort out their sponsor license, I left on 31/10/09
Tier 2 visa issued on 26/11/09, with a start date of 06/12/09
Arrived into UK on 06/12/09
I've been reading Rule 276 (a lot!) and I think I haven't broken continuous residence, as I have left with a valid leave and returned with a valid leave.
Both of those periods were well under 6 months. Counting them and all other trips abroad (longest being 35 days, while waiting for Tier 2 visa), my total is 340 days out of the UK within last 10 years.276A. For the purposes of paragraphs 276B to 276D:
(a) "continuous residence" means residence in the United Kingdom for an unbroken period, and for these purposes a period shall not be considered to have been broken where an applicant is absent from the United Kingdom for a period of 6 months or less at any one time, provided that the applicant in question has existing limited leave to enter or remain upon their departure and return.
What concerns me is mentioning of gaps on the forum - what does that exactly refer to (in terms of having a negative influence on one's application)? Because reading Immigration Rules, gap = break; when an application was made out of time.
Any suggestions from expert members of the forum?
Am I good to apply on a basis that my 10 years were on 01/01/11 ?
P.S. I have done my Life in he UK test last week.