Couples Visa, PhD Stipend and Redundancy

[CactusJock]

Hello,

If anyone has any advice to give, we would really appreciate it. Our situation is as follows.

I am a UK citizen, currently working but starting a PhD in September. My girlfriend is non-EEA, and on a Tier 2 general work permit, which was supposed to expire Nov 2018.

Unfortunately, this week my girlfriend was informed that she was being made redundant. We do not yet know when she will be officially terminated, or how long she will be able to stay after that date.

While we are looking for new jobs, we are also considering getting an unmarried couples visa, as from October we'll have lived together for 2 years. My PhD stipend will be slightly below the £18,600 requirements, but I should be able to top up my earnings with the difference.

My main questions are:

If her visa runs out before October, and she has to leave the country before we've been living together for 2 years, will this matter?

Will my PhD stipend count towards the earnings requirement for the resident in the couples visa?

Does anyone know how long Tier 2 visa holders can stay in the country after being made redundant?

Thank you in advance

[CR001]

A tier 2 general visa can take months to be curtailed. Her employer only notifies HO once she has left their employment and then the process takes a while.