Employer can't do £35k - need advice on options

[Teacher31]

Hi everyone,
I've been working for the same sponsor since September 2011, first on Tier 1 psw and then on to Tier 2 in 2013. When the £35k threshold was announced in 2015, my employer said they would do what they needed to do to ensure I remained with them. My 5 year anniversary for tier 2 would be next September.
Long story short, my employer told me today that unfortunately, they would not be able to honour the £35k threshold. I'm a teacher but I work for a company that does not operate to teacher pay and conditions. They have their own payscale, and my current salary is around £25k.

The good news is that I have until September 2019 on my current tier 2 visa, so I've got some time to figure out what to do. At the end of this visa, I wouldn't be able to extend my tier 2 visa as I would have been on it for the full allotted time of 6 years. Including the time I've been in the UK on my tier 4 visa, in 2019 I will have been here for 9 years, one year short of the 10 year long residence route.

With a little under 2 years left remaining with tier 2, can I search for another job with another sponsor?

Are there any loopholes I don't know about with tier 2 for getting an extra year? I'm assuming the answer is no but thought I'd ask.

I am in a long term committed relationship with a British person (who also has an Irish passport) and we will seek advice if we have to, but I'd like to try to gain ILR on my own merit. If anyone has any advice on this, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks for your time.

[Shadydrive]

If you have been on the tier 2 visa for 5 years, you should be eligible to apply for an ILR?

[Teacher31]

I don't earn £35k.

[CR001]

With a little under 2 years left remaining with tier 2, can I search for another job with another sponsor?

You can change employers and apply for a new visa with a new sponsor.

Are there any loopholes I don't know about with tier 2 for getting an extra year? I'm assuming the answer is no but thought I'd ask.

No there are not.

I am in a long term committed relationship with a British person (who also has an Irish passport) and we will seek advice if we have to, but I'd like to try to gain ILR on my own merit. If anyone has any advice on this, I'd love to hear it.

Why not apply for an unmarried partner visa? Assuming you have lived together for minimum of 2 years and have rock solid evidence to prove this. All visas count towards Long Residence ILR anyway.

[Teacher31]

Thanks for the advice CR001. We've officially been living together since Dec 2016, so next December I'd qualify for that I guess. It's another option to look into. Thanks again.