COS start date

[Megekiwi]

Any insight into this situation would be great.

I have tier 2 Visa with over a year to go on it. I would like to change sposors. I am aware a new COS and RLMT needs doing. That said I am a bit confused on dates to request of my new employer for the COS.

I do not want to have to stop working for my current employer while my visa is being processed it looks like today they are taking about three months which I note is the maximum time out from issue of COS that my sponsor can choose as my start date.
If worst case situation occured and UKBA took over three months to get back to me re my new sponsor and in that time the start date on my new COS had come and gone, could I legally still work for my current employer until my approval was grated even if that is after the start date for my new job?

Also obviously I do not want to resign early from my current employer in case the Visa for some reason in declined. That could be terrible, so I wish to serve them notice only when the approval is given, but what happens when due to UKBA delays this is past the start date of my new job?

All going to plan this wont happen and if so do I need to tell my current employer to cancel my COS with them so that a new one can be issued or is that something that happens automatically at approval of application?

Thanks so much for any feedback!

[manci]

You have a visa which entitles you to work for your current employer. You can continue working until such time that your visa is cancelled and replaced by a new leave for your new job.

As for as the work start date in your new CoS is concerned you cannot start work before that date but you can start later. If that happens your new sponsor has to report this to UKBA and explain the reasons.