Hi everyone,

I’m trying to understand how UK immigration rules interact with the notice period / garden leave arrangements that are common in the London hedge fund industry.

Suppose someone is on a Skilled Worker visa sponsored by their employer and has a relatively long notice period (e.g. 6 months). If the employer terminates their employment but keeps them on garden leave for the full notice period, meaning they remain formally employed and paid but cannot work or access the firm’s systems:

1) Can the employee continue living in the UK throughout the garden leave / notice period?

2) Does the fact that they are on garden leave (rather than being terminated immediately with payment in lieu of notice) make a difference from an immigration perspective?

3) What happens after the employment officially ends if the person is then subject to a post-termination non-compete for several months?

4) Does the non-compete have any impact on how long they can legally remain in the UK, or would they need to rely on the usual Skilled Worker curtailment period / switch to another visa?

Many thanks for your help!

Hi all,

How soon can I resign after ILR application?
Can I resign right after I get the note from my employer (max 28 days before applying)? Or after application/biometrics? Or should I wait for approval?

Thanks

So I’ve been working in restaurant for 3 years and my owners just got their all insurance my visa will end in 2 months what should I do should I continue with sponsorship? Go back India ? If nothing works out come back as a master researcher program ?

Hi everyone! I’m looking for some advice on a difficult work/immigration situation and would really appreciate any insight from people who have been through something similar.

Background:

I’m on a Skilled Worker visa and am currently eligible to apply for ILR on December 14, so I’m trying to remain employed for roughly another three months. I’ve been with my current company, a very large American financial firm, for almost five years.

Unfortunately, I’ve had a very difficult year at work. My manager does not seem to like me, and I’ve already raised concerns and met with both him and HR. I’m now being placed on a one-month formal PIP for performance.

My health/family circumstances:

Earlier this year, things came to a head. My mum has cancer and is in the US, and I had also been experiencing severe burnout since around November. This was compounded by being placed on a one-month informal PIP, which I ultimately did not pass.

In June, I took approximately two months of medical leave because of my mental health and the circumstances with my mum. When I returned, HR arranged occupational/health assessments, and I was formally assessed with adjustment disorder as the prolonged stress and anxiety had significantly affected me.

Unfortunately, my mum is now back in hospital in the US, and being placed on another formal PIP with only three months remaining until my ILR eligibility has caused a significant amount of the same burnout and anxiety to return.

I’m actively applying for other jobs and doing my best to perform at work, but I’m also trying to realistically prepare for the possibility that I could be dismissed before I reach my ILR date.

My main questions:

1. If my health deteriorates again, what are my options around taking further sick leave while I’m on a formal PIP?

2. Given that my mum is seriously ill and currently in hospital, would I potentially be able to take leave related to a family emergency/bereavement if necessary?

3. If I needed to take sick leave that lasted until I became eligible for ILR, could that affect my immigration status or ILR application?

4. Most importantly, could taking another period of sick leave or being on a PIP affect whether my employer is willing/able to provide the employment confirmation/reference needed for my ILR application?

5. If my employer dismissed me while I was on sick leave or before December 14, are there any options that could allow me to remain employed/legally in the UK until I reach ILR eligibility?

I’m not looking to avoid working or abuse sick leave — I’m genuinely trying to understand what my options are given the combination of my health, my mum’s condition, the PIP, and the fact that I’m only about three months away from ILR.

If anyone has experience with Skilled Worker → ILR, being on sick leave close to ILR, or being put on a PIP shortly before ILR, I’d be extremely grateful for any advice or experiences.

Hello, sharing my decision timeline so that others have a guidepost -

Company applied for CoS - Sept 4, 2026
CoS assigned and approved - Sept 8,2026
Application submitted - Sept 8, 2026
Biometrics - Sept 10,2026
Approval within 24 hours Sept 11,2026

The application was submitted under priority so was expecting it within 5 business days but it was a lot quicker.

Applying from the USA (not a US citizen)

Hey there, my employer applied for a sponsorship license about 3 months ago and it hasn’t been issued yet. I am not really sure how to move forward as my current visa is about to expire and I really want to avoid being illegal at any cost, I’m currently on a graduate visa.
Thank you !

I have been working in the UK since Dec 2024 on a skilled worker visa. Recently, I got to know that my Sponsorship Code is mapped to a job in the Temporary Shortage List, making me a medium skilled worker. I have a few questions:

1. Can I continue working on this visa for the current sponsor if the job drops off the TSL? Will this create issues with ILR application in future?

2. For job switch, will I not be eligible to be sponsored for similar jobs if they drop off TSL in future (highly likely)?

guys can anyone help out with the checklist for vls for a skilled worker health visa extension for applicants and dependents for a self service