Many UK immigration routes require an applicant to demonstrate a specified level of English. The level, the language skills assessed and the permitted methods of proof depend on the particular route and the stage of the application.

Appendix English Language sets out common ways in which the requirement can be met for the routes to which it applies. It does not, however, create one universal English language requirement for every UK visa, settlement or citizenship application. The relevant route must always be checked first.

1. What is the UK visa English language requirement?

Where a route requires English, the applicant must show that they meet the specified Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level in the required skills. Depending on the route, those skills may be speaking and listening only, or speaking, listening, reading and writing.

If an applicant does not satisfy a mandatory English language requirement, and no applicable exemption or route-specific alternative applies, the application will ordinarily be refused. It is therefore important to identify both the correct level and an accepted method of proof before applying.

2. Does my visa application fall under Appendix English Language?

Appendix English Language applies only to applications under the routes listed in that Appendix. As at 07 October 2026, those routes include:

• Study: the Student route.
• Work and business: Skilled Worker, Representative of an Overseas Business, T2 Minister of Religion, International Sportsperson, UK Ancestry, Global Talent, Start-up, Innovator Founder, Domestic Worker in a Private Household, High Potential Individual, Scale-up and Temporary Work – International Agreement.
• Family, protection and settlement: Settlement Family Life, Private Life, Child Relative (Sponsors with Protection), Hong Kong British National (Overseas), Victim of Domestic Abuse, HM Armed Forces, Long Residence and Bereaved Partner.

The route rules determine whether English must be met at the particular application stage and at what level. Inclusion in Appendix English Language does not mean that every applicant under that route must meet English on every application. Some legacy routes, including Start-up and Representative of an Overseas Business, remain relevant to existing route holders even though they are generally closed to new main applicants.

Other applications use different provisions. For example, most limited leave applications by partners and parents are governed by Appendix FM, while British citizenship by naturalisation is governed by nationality law and separate Home Office guidance.

3. What level of English do I need?

The required level is route-specific. The following table gives common examples current on the legal review date:

Application or route	Typical level	Important qualification
Partner or parent under Appendix FM	A1 / A2	Usually A1 for the first grant and A2 for an extension. Appendix FM contains its own exceptions and evidence rules.
Student Visa	B1 or B2	Usually B1 below degree level and B2 at degree level or above. A qualifying higher education provider may assess English in permitted cases.
Skilled Worker Visa	B2	Most new applicants require B2 in all four skills. A transitional B1 provision may protect an applicant whose previous Skilled Worker permission was subject to B1.
High Potential Individual Visa	B2	B2 is required in all four skills.
Scale-up Visa	B2	A transitional B1 provision may apply where previous Scale-up permission was subject to B1.
Innovator Founder Visa	B2	B2 is required in all four skills.
International Sportsperson	A1	English is required where the application is for permission exceeding 12 months.
Temporary Work – International Agreement	B1	Relevant to the qualifying category covered by Appendix English Language.
Settlement on an affected route	B1, then B2	The present B1 requirement rises to B2 for affected settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027.

The table is a guide rather than a substitute for the route rules. A person relying on an earlier grant should check any transitional provision carefully, because the level required today may be higher than the level that applied to the previous application.

4. The B2 settlement change from 26 March 2027

For a number of routes where settlement currently requires English at B1, the requirement will rise to B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027. The affected framework includes routes covered by Appendix Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK and specified work, business, family and long residence routes.

The change is expressed to apply to people who are already on a pathway to settlement. Applicants planning an indefinite leave to remain application around this date should therefore check the application date, the precise route and whether the evidence on which they intend to rely proves B2 rather than B1.

5. How can I meet Appendix English Language?

Depending on the route, Appendix English Language may be met by one of the following methods:

• showing that the required level was met in a previous successful application for entry clearance or permission to stay;
• being a national of a listed majority English-speaking country;
• holding an eligible academic qualification;
• passing an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT);
• holding an eligible UK school English qualification; or
• using a route-specific alternative available to certain Student or Skilled Worker applicants.

The evidence must match the route and the level required for the current application. A method that was sufficient for one route, or for an earlier application, may not be sufficient where the current route requires a higher CEFR level or different language skills.

6. Am I a national of a majority English-speaking country?

For Appendix English Language, the listed majority English-speaking countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British Overseas Territories, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States of America.

A dual national may rely on a qualifying nationality even if the passport used for the application is from another country, provided the qualifying nationality is properly evidenced.

7. Can I rely on an academic qualification?

An applicant may rely on an eligible bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctorate. The precise evidence depends on where the qualification was awarded:

• A UK qualification may be evidenced by the degree certificate, official transcript or an official letter from the awarding institution containing equivalent information.
• A degree or degree-level qualification from a listed majority English-speaking country, other than Canada, or from Ireland must meet or exceed the recognised standard of a UK bachelor’s degree.
• A qualification from Canada or another non-majority English-speaking country must meet or exceed the recognised UK degree standard and must have been taught or researched in English.

For an overseas qualification, the applicant must also obtain confirmation from the Home Office’s qualification and language assessments provider. In practice, applications made from 1 May 2025 generally use the Ecctis Qualification and Language Service and provide the Unique Person Identifier (UPI) so that the assessment can be checked online. Ecctis Visa and Nationality statements issued before 1 May 2025 remain capable of verification.

A UK ENIC Statement of Compatibility on its own is not evidence that a qualification was taught in English.

8. What is a Secure English Language Test?

A Secure English Language Test is an English test approved by the Home Office for immigration and nationality purposes. The applicant must use an approved test, from an approved provider, at an approved location, and must achieve the required level in every language component specified by the route.

Some applications require speaking and listening only. Many work and study routes require speaking, listening, reading and writing. The application form normally asks for the digital reference number, which allows the Home Office to verify the result directly.

The approved providers for tests taken in the UK are currently IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT, Pearson and Trinity College London. For tests taken outside the UK, the current providers are IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT, Pearson and PSI Services (UKVI). The approved test names, locations and provider arrangements are updated from time to time, so the official list should be checked before booking.

A SELT used directly for a current application must normally have been passed in the two years before the application date. Different rules may allow an older result to be relied upon where the English requirement was already accepted in a previous successful application at the level now required.

9. Can I rely on a GCSE, International GCSE, A level or Scottish qualification?

An applicant may meet Appendix English Language with an eligible GCSE, International GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification at level 4 or 5, Scottish Higher or Scottish Advanced Higher in English language or literature. The qualification must have been awarded by a regulated awarding body following education undertaken at a UK-based school which began while the applicant was under 18.

The qualification can be evidenced by a certificate or official transcript issued by the awarding body. An applicant who turned 18 during the academic year in which they took the relevant examinations may still be able to rely on the qualification.

This method applies to routes governed by Appendix English Language and should not be assumed to apply to applications under Appendix FM or for British citizenship, which are subject to separate English language requirements and evidential rules.

10. Can I rely on English shown in a previous application?

Yes. Appendix English Language is met where the applicant has already shown, in a previous successful application for entry clearance or permission to stay, that they met the English requirement at the level required for the current application.

This provision is not limited to a previous SELT. The earlier requirement may have been met by another accepted method, such as a degree or qualifying nationality. However, the earlier evidence cannot be reused through this provision if the present application requires a higher level than the level previously accepted.

11. Are there exemptions from Appendix English Language?

The general exemptions in Appendix English Language are principally settlement exemptions. An applicant for settlement is exempt if, on the application date, they are:

• aged under 18;
• aged 65 or over;
• unable to meet the requirement because of a physical or mental disability; or
• eligible for the limited 15-year family settlement exception described below.

These are not universal exemptions from every English requirement in the immigration system. Appendix HM Armed Forces contains a separate exemption framework for entry clearance or permission to stay, including exceptional circumstances. Appendix FM and nationality applications also have their own rules and guidance.

Physical or mental disability

A settlement applicant relying on disability must show that the physical or mental condition prevents them from meeting the requirement. Current medical evidence should explain the condition and its effect on the applicant’s ability to learn English or take the relevant test. A diagnosis alone may not be enough where reasonable adjustments would enable the applicant to take the test.

Relevant circumstances may include a long-term or ongoing illness or disability which severely restricts the applicant’s ability to learn English or take a test, a serious or life-threatening illness, a mental condition which prevents the applicant from speaking or learning English to the required standard, deafness affecting the relevant speaking or listening requirements, or a speech impediment or inability to speak. The decision-maker will consider matters including the effect and seriousness of the condition, how long it is likely to last and whether it is likely to improve.

The 15-year family settlement exception

A person applying for settlement as a partner, parent or dependent child aged over 18 may qualify where they have had permission in the UK throughout the 15 years immediately before the application, can show speaking and listening at A2 (or the specified ESOL or Scottish equivalent), and provide confirmation from a qualified English teacher that they attended at least 75 guided learning hours in the preceding 12 months.

For an application made before 26 March 2027, the teacher must consider the applicant unlikely to attain B1 through further study. For an application made on or after that date, the relevant level becomes B2.

Current caseworker guidance also says that, where a person has had 15 years’ permission but cannot provide evidence of an A2 qualification, the circumstances should be considered in the round to decide whether discretion should be exercised. This is discretionary guidance rather than an automatic exemption in Appendix English Language, and detailed evidence of attempts and difficulties will be important.

Appendix HM Armed Forces

Appendix HM Armed Forces contains a separate exemption framework for applicants applying for entry clearance or permission to stay. An applicant may be exempt where, on the date of application, they are under 18, aged 65 or over, or have a physical or mental condition which prevents them from meeting the English language requirement. An exemption may also apply where exceptional circumstances prevent the applicant from meeting the requirement.

Whether exceptional circumstances exist will depend on the individual case. Examples identified in Home Office Guidance include circumstances involving armed conflict or humanitarian disaster, lengthy hospitalisation, caring full-time for a disabled child, or serious practical difficulties in accessing an approved English language test or the resources needed to learn English. Limited literacy or education will not, by itself, amount to exceptional circumstances.

12. Does this guide cover British citizenship?

British citizenship by naturalisation does not fall under Appendix English Language. Most adult applicants must satisfy both the English language requirement and the Life in the UK requirement under the nationality framework, unless an applicable exemption or discretion applies. Evidence previously accepted for settlement may often be reused, but the nationality requirements should be checked separately.

13. Contact our UK immigration barristers

For expert advice and assistance in relation to an application under a route which contains an English language requirement, contact our immigration barristers in London on 0203 617 9173 or complete the enquiry form below.

14. Frequently asked questions

Can I use an expired English language test?

Potentially. An older test may still assist if the Home Office accepted that you met the same or a higher English level in a previous successful application for entry clearance or permission to stay. If you are relying directly on a new SELT result, it must normally fall within the two-year validity period.

Does a Skilled Worker applicant now need B2 English?

Most new Skilled Worker applicants require B2 in speaking, listening, reading and writing. A transitional B1 provision may apply where the applicant previously held Skilled Worker permission which was itself subject to B1.

Will I need B2 English for indefinite leave to remain?

Many affected settlement routes will move from B1 to B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027. The change is stated to apply to people already on a pathway to settlement, so the precise application date and route must be checked.

Do all applicants aged 65 or over have an English exemption?

No. The age exemption in Appendix English Language applies to settlement applications governed by that exemption. It should not be treated as a universal exemption from every visa or citizenship English requirement.

Do I need Ecctis for a UK degree?

Usually not. A qualifying UK degree can normally be evidenced by the award documentation. An overseas qualification generally requires confirmation through the designated qualification and language assessment process.

Does a family visa application use Appendix English Language?

Most initial and extension applications by partners and parents use Appendix FM rather than Appendix English Language. Settlement under the family life route is brought within Appendix English Language, and the route-specific rules must be read together.

Is the Life in the UK Test the same as the English requirement?

No. They are separate requirements. A person may need to satisfy both for settlement or naturalisation, and passing one does not by itself satisfy the other.

Can I rely on a Canadian degree taught in English?

Potentially, but Canada is not treated as a majority English-speaking country for the academic qualification shortcut. The overseas qualification assessment must confirm both the required UK degree equivalence and that the qualification was taught or researched in English.