Urgent help! Extension of LTR to Tier 2 Intra-Company

[chi2008]

Dear fellow members:

My friend has LTR until 04/04/09 under work permit (Intra-Company Transfer), the employer has just submitted application for Tier 2 Sponsor Licence. It seems that the Sponsor Lic. takes a couple of months to be granted. Now he is worrying how he can extend his LTR in the U.K. when the LTR (and WP) expires in April/09; in particular he does not want to leave the UK or overstay.

Any chance that he could submit his Tier 2 ICT application pending his employer's Sponsor certificate to be submitted?

The Home Office has recently announced that, from 01/04/2009, ALL Tier 2 applicaion will have to complete a Resident Labour Market search (i.e. advertise at Job Centre). does it affect Intra-Company Transfer extension as well.

Any thoughts or advice will be appreciated

Andy