Tier 1 (General) Extension -

[m_a_a]

Hi,

I have a few questions on Tier 1 (General) visa extension.

1) My visa is valid until Oct 2012. When is the ideal time to apply for an extension?
I will be applying for my wife's visa extension as dependant at the same time.
Do I need to book an appointment well in advance since I intend to do it personally rather than by post?

2) A small part of my monthly earnings is going to a Pension scheme through my employer. So, although my gross salary is higher, it shows up as X amount on the payslips.

(Example: Gross salary is £100 but payslip shows gross taxable salary as £80 and another section of the payslip shows £20 being paid to the Pension scheme.)
There is no mention of the fact on the payslips that my total gross salary is £100.

If I have a letter from the company stating my gross salary is £100, is that enough?
As in the example above, £80 * 12 will put me in a lower band in terms of points for earnings and I of course do not want that as in reality my gross salary is £100 and hence, total earnings should £100 * 12).

3) Do I need to show a letter again for English language ability when I apply for an extension? (I had shown that the language of instruction was English for my course when I first applied for the Tier 1 General visa).

If I no longer have the letter, do I need to write the IELTS to prove English language ability?

[ScopeD]

1. UKBA advises on applying at least 28 days before current leave expires but it depends with your choices really. Applying well in advance of your current leave expiry date may see you having a short-fall when it comes to the 5 year ILR application rule.

2. Maybe employer letter will help - to be on the safe side.

3. You should really be following what is written on the Policy Guidance document. It will clear doubts on many of these questions. See http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... idance.pdf