English language requirement for UK Work Visas
The Skilled Worker route and other sponsored UK work routes require the applicant to demonstrate English at the level the route requires. The Skilled Worker level is B2 across all four skills under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, known as CEFR.
Five things to know about the English language requirement on UK Work Visas
What is the English language requirement for UK Work Visas?
The English language requirement is a condition on every sponsored UK work visa: the applicant must prove their knowledge of English at the level the route sets, measured against the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The Home Office sets this standard so a sponsored worker can do the role, communicate with colleagues and clients, and live in the UK independently. Most routes share the same baseline, with a few set higher or lower.
The English requirement is a separate requirement from the sponsorship requirements. A Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed sponsor does not satisfy the language requirement. The applicant must evidence English in their own right, on top of every other requirement of the route.
Who is exempt as a national of an English-speaking country?
Applicants who are nationals of a country listed by the Home Office as a majority English-speaking country are not required to take a SELT. The exemption is based on nationality at the date of the application, evidenced by a current passport. The applicant attaches the passport to the application and the requirement is treated as met.
The Home Office published list of majority English-speaking countries for UK work visas:
Irish nationals are not subject to the SELT requirement under separate Common Travel Area arrangements. An applicant who holds dual nationality may rely on the passport of the majority-English-speaking country. The Home Office accepts a current passport from any one of the listed countries as evidence. The passport must be the applicant's own and must be valid at the date of the application.
A national of a country not on the list is not exempt by this route, even where English is widely spoken in the country of origin. India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Singapore and South Africa, for example, are not on the published list. Applicants from these countries either take a SELT or, where applicable, rely on the degree exemption.
Can a degree taught in English meet the requirement?
An applicant may rely on a degree taught in English to satisfy the requirement, where the qualification meets the Home Office published standard. The degree must be equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree, master's degree or PhD. The teaching and assessment must have been in English throughout.
A degree awarded by a UK institution that is a recognised body is accepted directly. The applicant submits the degree certificate and, in some cases, the transcript. The institution must appear on the list of recognised bodies published by the UK government. No third-party verification is required for UK degrees from recognised bodies.
A degree awarded outside the UK must be confirmed through the Qualification and Language Service (QLS), provided by Ecctis on behalf of the Home Office. For the degree route, the applicant uses the English Proficiency and Qualification Comparison service, which confirms in a single assessment both that the qualification is comparable to a UK bachelor's, master's or PhD and that it required the level of English the Home Office accepts. The applicant applies and pays the published fee on the Ecctis QLS website.
The degree route is commonly used by applicants from India, Pakistan, Nigeria and other countries where many universities teach in English. The applicant must be able to evidence the medium of instruction, usually through a letter from the awarding institution or an entry on the official transcript. Where the transcript is silent on language of instruction, the applicant obtains a separate letter from the registrar or equivalent office.
What is a Secure English Language Test?
An applicant who is not exempt by nationality and does not rely on a qualifying degree must sit a Secure English Language Test at the level the route requires. The Skilled Worker route requires the applicant to demonstrate English at CEFR level B2 in each of the four skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. The level was raised to B2 from B1 and is set in Appendix Skilled Worker, confirmed in the Home Office English language requirement levels guidance on GOV.UK. An applicant whose previous Skilled Worker permission was granted on a B1 requirement keeps that B1 level at extension. The four-skill assessment is the standard for the route.
The CEFR is the European reference framework that grades language ability from A1 at the lower end to C2 at the upper end. B2 is described as an independent user at the upper-intermediate level. A B2 speaker can understand the main ideas of complex text, interact with native speakers with a degree of fluency and spontaneity, and produce clear, detailed text on a range of subjects.
The applicant evidences B2 in one of three ways. The first is a Secure English Language Test taken with an approved provider in the two years before the date of the application. The second is a passport from a majority-English-speaking country recognised by the Home Office. The third is a degree taught in English that meets the published standard, with Ecctis QLS confirmation where the degree was taken outside the UK.
An applicant who already holds permission as a Skilled Worker and who previously evidenced English at the required level does not need to evidence the requirement again at extension. The Home Office English language guidance confirms that an applicant who has met the requirement on a previous application is treated as having met it on a later one. Further information on the route is available on the Skilled Worker visa hub.
What level of English does each route require?
Several sponsored work routes carry an English language requirement separate from the Skilled Worker rule. The level varies. The applicant should check the relevant Appendix and the Home Office English language guidance on GOV.UK for the route in question.
| Route | Level | Skills assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker | B2 | 4 skills |
| Health and Care Worker | B2 | 4 skills |
| Senior or Specialist Worker (GBM) | A1 | Speaking & listening |
| Minister of Religion | B2 | 4 skills |
| International Sportsperson | A1 (12+ months) | Speaking & listening |
| Innovator Founder | B2 | 4 skills |
| Scale-up | B2 | 4 skills |
| High Potential Individual | B2 | 4 skills |
| International Agreement | B1 | 4 skills |
The Senior or Specialist Worker route under the Global Business Mobility framework requires the applicant to demonstrate English at A1 in speaking and listening only on entry clearance. The route is intended for short to medium term assignments by overseas businesses sending senior staff to a UK branch. The lower level reflects the temporary, intra-group nature of the route.
The Health and Care Worker route relies on the Skilled Worker English requirement, set at B2 across all four skills. The level applies to doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and adult social care workers sponsored under the route. Many applicants will already hold occupational language evidence accepted by their professional regulator, which the Home Office also accepts where it appears on the published list.
The Minister of Religion route requires the applicant to demonstrate English at B2 across all four skills. The higher level reflects the role, which involves leading worship, pastoral work and teaching in English. The route sits in Appendix T2 Minister of Religion of the Immigration Rules.
The International Sportsperson route requires A1 in speaking and listening where the applicant is applying for more than 12 months. The route covers elite sportspeople and qualified coaches endorsed by the relevant sporting body. Other routes that carry an English requirement include the Innovator Founder route at B2 and the Scale-up route at B2. The High Potential Individual route requires B2, while the International Agreement route requires B1.
What does CEFR Level B2 mean?
The B2 level describes an independent user of English at the upper-intermediate level. The CEFR descriptor states that a B2 user can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussion in their own field.
A B2 user can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular conversation with native speakers possible without strain on either side. The user can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue, setting out the advantages and disadvantages of different options.
The Home Office evidences B2 through a Secure English Language Test result at the equivalent score. Each approved provider publishes the score that corresponds to B2 in its result table. The applicant therefore does not need to translate between scoring systems; the provider does so on the certificate or result confirmation.
The two-year validity period applies to the SELT result. The result must be in date at the time the visa application is submitted. An out-of-date result may lead to refusal, even where the applicant has clearly held the required level for some time.
Secure English Language Test Providers
The Home Office accepts results only from approved Secure English Language Test providers. A result from any other provider is not accepted, even where the test assesses English at the required level. The applicant must therefore book with an approved SELT provider from the published list.
The approved providers are IELTS SELT Consortium, Trinity College London, Pearson, LanguageCert and PSI Services. Each provider runs one or more tests for UK visa purposes. The published GOV.UK list also names the specific tests that count as SELTs and the test centres at which they may be taken.
IELTS UKVI is the most widely available SELT internationally. The test is offered by the IELTS SELT Consortium and covers all four skills at a single sitting. IELTS Life Skills covers speaking and listening only and is used for routes that require those two skills.
Trinity College London offers the Integrated Skills in English assessment, known as ISE, for the four-skill SELT. The Graded Examinations in Spoken English, known as GESE, cover speaking and listening only. Trinity tests are available at approved centres in the UK only. Pearson offers PTE Academic UKVI for four skills and PTE Home for speaking and listening. LanguageCert offers International ESOL SELT formats covering both four-skill and speaking-and-listening assessments. PSI Services offers Skills for English UKVI to applicants taking the test outside the UK.
Approved SELT providers if you are in the UK
Approved SELT providers if you are outside the UK
Trinity College London tests are available in the UK only, and PSI Services (Skills for English) is the provider for tests taken outside the UK. A test taken in the UK can be used for an application made from inside or outside the UK, and a test taken overseas can be used for an application made in the UK.
Find an approved test
For a result to be accepted, the test must:
- be on the list of approved English language tests
- have been sat at an approved test location
- have been awarded in the two years before the date of the application
The list of approved English language tests has been assessed as meeting Home Office requirements under the secure English language testing arrangements. Only the tests and test levels specified are approved. To use an English language test in an immigration or nationality application, the applicant must take one of the tests on the list.
The applicant should make sure the test booked is the one approved for SELT:
- IELTS SELT Consortium: 'IELTS for UKVI' or 'IELTS Life Skills'
- LanguageCert: 'LanguageCert International ESOL SELT', 'LanguageCert Academic SELT' or 'LanguageCert General SELT'
- Pearson: 'PTE Academic UKVI' or 'PTE Home'
- PSI Services: 'Skills for English UKVI'
- Trinity College London: 'Secure English Language Tests for UKVI', either Integrated Skills in English (ISE) or Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE)
It is for the applicant to decide which test to take. The list of approved tests gives the CEFR level and minimum grade requirements for each level.
Where two or more components (reading, writing, speaking and listening) are examined and awarded together, the applicant must achieve the required scores in all the relevant components with the same test centre provider, as part of the combined assessment. In certain circumstances, where the applicant fails one component, they may be allowed to sit that component again. The applicant should check the provider's terms and conditions before booking.
How to book and costs
The applicant books a SELT directly with the provider, using the same name and date of birth as the passport or travel document used for the visa application. A mismatch between the SELT registration and the passport may lead to refusal, even where the underlying English ability is clearly at the required level.
The provider takes payment for the test fee at the point of booking. Test fees vary by provider, by test type and by country. Live fees are published on each provider's website. Booking pages are available at IELTS, Trinity College London, Pearson PTE, LanguageCert and PSI Services.
The applicant should book the correct test type for the route. A four-skill route, such as Skilled Worker, requires a four-skill SELT. A speaking-and-listening-only route, such as Senior or Specialist Worker, may be evidenced by a speaking-and-listening SELT. A four-skill SELT also satisfies a speaking-and-listening-only requirement, but a speaking-and-listening result will not satisfy a four-skill requirement.
The test result is issued by the provider with a unique reference number. The applicant enters this number on the online visa application form. The Home Office verifies the result electronically using the provider's secure verification system. The applicant does not need to upload a paper certificate. Results are usually issued within a few working days for computer-based tests and within two to three weeks for paper-based assessments.
After the test
A candidate who passes a SELT is issued a unique reference number, which must be entered on the online visa application. An application submitted without it may be refused. The number is shown on the result as:
- UER for Trinity College London
- UKVI number for IELTS SELT Consortium
- Candidate URN for LanguageCert
- SELT URN for Pearson
- URN for PSI Skills for English
No paper certificate is uploaded. The Home Office verifies the result through the provider's secure online verification system using that reference number.
A SELT result is valid for two years from the date it is awarded, and must be in date on the day the application is submitted. A test taken in the UK can be used for an application made inside or outside the UK, and a test taken overseas can be used for an application made in the UK.
What evidence do you need to prove English?
The applicant provides specific documentary evidence depending on how the requirement is met. The Home Office English language guidance sets out the accepted documents for each route. The applicant uploads the evidence with the online visa application.
The nationality exemption is evidenced by a current passport from a country on the published list. The passport is attached in the supporting documents section of the application. The applicant does not need any additional letter, statement or test result.
The degree route is evidenced by the degree certificate and the transcript where required. For overseas degrees, the applicant also submits the Ecctis QLS English Proficiency and Qualification Comparison statement. The applicant submits the original documents in PDF form. Each document must clearly show the awarding institution, the qualification awarded, and confirmation that teaching and assessment were in English.
The SELT route is evidenced by the unique reference number issued by the test provider. The number appears on the result statement and is entered into the online application form. The Home Office verifies the result electronically with the provider. The applicant does not need to upload a paper certificate, but should retain it for personal records.
What English applies at extension and ILR?
An applicant who has previously evidenced English at the required level for the route does not need to evidence the requirement again at extension. The Home Office English language guidance states that, once the requirement has been met, it is treated as met on any later application. This applies to subsequent applications for the same route or for a route requiring the same or a lower level. The applicant indicates on the online form that the requirement was met on a previous application and provides the relevant reference.
An applicant who switches from a different route to a sponsored work route may need to evidence English at the new level. Where the previous route required a lower level than the new route, the applicant evidences the higher level on the switching application. Where the previous route required the same or a higher level, the previous evidence carries forward.
At the Indefinite Leave to Remain stage, the applicant evidences English at the level required by the ILR rules and passes the Life in the UK test. The English level for ILR is set in Appendix KOL UK of the Immigration Rules. An applicant who has already evidenced English at the required level on a previous in-time application does not need to retake a SELT for ILR. The earlier evidence must remain valid for ILR purposes. Information on the cost of an ILR application is published on the UK visa fees guide.
The Immigration Health Surcharge applies to the sponsored worker for the full duration of the visa, regardless of how the English requirement was met. The IHS is paid at the application stage in addition to the application fee. The current rate per adult per year is published on the Immigration Health Surcharge guide.
How Whytecroft Ford can help with a UK work visa application
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Our team are experienced, friendly professionals who handle the whole application from start to finish, on regulated advice and a written engagement letter.
For assistance with your UK Work Visa application, contact our friendly professionals on 0208 757 5751 or use the contact form.
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