Settle requirements under Tier 2

[landrover8032]

Happy New Year All.

Please correct me if I am wrong, as far as I understand, the Tier 2 applicant can only apply ILR after 5 years of work and their salary should pass a minimum threshold (£35000?). Regrading that, I have few questions that I am not clear.

1. Does the salary should pass that threshold in all of the 5 years or just need to be at the time of applying?
2. Does this 5 years need to be continuous? For example, does it count in the case working for 2 years, leaving for 1 year (cooling off), and come back working for another 3 years?
3. Does the "cooling off" period apply right after the applicant leave the UK, which mean once he cant extend his Tier 2 visa in the UK and has to leave, he will need to wait for 12 months before applying again?
4. Is that true that the salary threshold does not apply for PhD level job (applicant needn't have a PhD)? If so, it is quite strange that the cooling off period is still applied for this type of applicants.
5. What about if a PhD work in job which is not PhD level: Does the threshold apply?

Thanks in advance for your helps.

[physicskate]

1.) This applies to applications made after April 2016 and only at the time of ILR application does it apply.
2.) Continuous 5 years is kinda the whole point... There are residency requirements to meet and the cooling off period breaks them, thus re-setting the 5 year period.
3.) Unclear what your question is... If you can no longer continue renewing your Tier 2 and cannot switch to any other category, then the cooling off period of 12 months would apply for another Tier 2 visa... (except in the case of ICT short term to long term).
4.) The threshold does not apply to PhD level researchers and scientists working under an NQF 7 job.
5.) Threshold applies!