The Immigration Rules set English requirements as CEFR levels, not as test scores. Appendix English Language says B1 or B2; it does not say which band of any particular exam. Understanding that distinction is what stops applicants buying the wrong test or the wrong version of the right one.
English Requirements
UK Visa English Language Requirements in 2026
What the Levels Mean
CEFR is the Common European Framework of Reference, a six-level scale from A1 to C2. The Rules use it because it describes what a person can do rather than what they scored. A1 is basic exchanges; A2 is routine everyday matters; B1 is handling most situations while travelling and describing experiences; B2 is fluent enough for technical discussion in your own field.
Student visas need B2 for degree-level courses and B1 below degree level. Family routes run A1 at entry, A2 at extension and B1 at settlement, rising to B2 at settlement from 26 March 2027. Settlement and citizenship need B1 plus the Life in the UK test, with exemptions at 65 and over and for long-term physical or mental conditions.
"UKVI CEFR Threshold Met"
Secure English Language Test certificates issued for immigration purposes state whether the UKVI threshold has been met for a given level. That statement, not the numeric score, is what a caseworker looks for. A certificate showing a strong score but not confirming the threshold for the level you need does not satisfy the requirement.
Reading the Certificate
- The level confirmed: it must be at or above the level your route requires.
- The components covered: some routes need all four skills, others only speaking and listening.
- The provider: it must be on the Home Office approved list at the date you took the test.
- The location: tests must be taken at an approved test centre.
- The validity: certificates expire, and an expired one cannot be relied on.
Testing Once for More Than One Stage
Where you can, sit the higher level. A certificate confirming a level above what your current application needs can often satisfy a later stage as well, which saves a second test fee and a second booking. Check the component and validity requirements for the later route before relying on it.
The Levels by Route
CEFR Level Required
| Route or stage | Level |
|---|---|
| Student, degree level or above | B2 |
| Student, below degree level | B1 |
| Family, entry clearance | A1 |
| Family, extension | A2 |
| Family, settlement | B1, rising to B2 from 26 March 2027 |
| Settlement, general | B1 plus the Life in the UK test |
| Naturalisation | B1 plus the Life in the UK test |
| Visitors | None |
Source: Appendix English Language and the GOV.UK route pages. Checked 22 August 2026.
Work Routes
The Skilled Worker entry requirement rose to B2 from 8 January 2026. Those who already held the visa before that date keep the B1 standard for their route. Our page on the Skilled Worker route covers the wider requirements, and our page on the Health and Care Worker route the healthcare position.
Appendix English Language sets CEFR levels only. Any mapping between a CEFR level and a particular exam band is the test provider's own, and providers change them. Book against the level your route requires and confirm with the provider that their product certifies that level for UKVI purposes.
Professional Registration Is a Separate Bar
Healthcare regulators set their own English standards for registration, independently of the immigration rules. Meeting the visa requirement does not mean meeting the regulator's, and the regulator's is often higher. Both have to be satisfied, and they are assessed by different bodies at different points.
Other work routes vary. Some, including Global Talent and several temporary work routes, carry no English requirement at entry. Others, such as the Innovator Founder route, do. Check your own route rather than generalising.
Study Routes
Degree-level study and above requires B2; below degree level requires B1. Higher education providers may assess English themselves for degree-level students, provided the standard remains equivalent to B2, which is why some applicants never sit a separate test.
- A UK school qualification: taken while at school in the UK.
- A degree from a UK institution: which evidences the standard directly.
- A degree taught in English abroad: confirmed by an Ecctis assessment.
- A Secure English Language Test: from an approved provider at an approved centre.
- Your provider's own assessment: for degree level and above, at the B2 standard.
Our page on the student route covers the rest, and Ecctis handles the assessment of overseas degrees taught in English.
Family Routes
The family route ratchets. A1 to enter, A2 to extend, and B1 at settlement. From 26 March 2027 the settlement standard rises to B2 under the changes laid in HC 1691 on 5 March 2026, which is a material step up for anyone whose five-year route ends after that date.
Plan the testing around the ratchet rather than one stage at a time. See our pages on the spouse route, the spouse English requirement, extensions and settlement as a partner.
Settlement
Indefinite leave to remain generally requires B1 and a pass in the Life in the UK test. Both are separate requirements and both must be met — passing the test does not evidence English, and an English certificate does not evidence knowledge of life in the UK.
There is a substantial carve-out. People settling on several work routes, including Skilled Worker, Overseas Business Representative, International Sportsperson, Innovator Founder, Scale-up Worker, Minister of Religion and Domestic Worker in a Private Household, are exempt from proving English again at settlement, having proved it at entry. See our pages on settlement and the Life in the UK test.
Citizenship
Naturalisation requires B1 and the Life in the UK test, and applicants must be 18 or over. GOV.UK warns plainly that a citizenship or settlement application will be refused if you send the wrong qualifications, which is the single most avoidable failure on this requirement.
A certificate used for settlement can often be reused for naturalisation, subject to validity. Our page on naturalisation requirements covers the residence and good character conditions that sit alongside it.
Exemptions
- Aged 65 or over: at the date of application.
- A long-term physical or mental condition: evidenced by a completed doctor's form and original medical reports.
- Nationals of recognised majority English speaking countries: listed below.
- A degree taught or researched in English: with an Ecctis assessment where the degree is not from the UK.
- Certain settlement categories: victims of domestic abuse, surviving spouses, adult dependent relatives aged 18 to 64, refugees, those with humanitarian protection or discretionary leave, Commonwealth military veterans, and exceptional cases such as orphans, widows and over-age dependants.
The recognised countries and territories are Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British overseas territories, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Ireland for citizenship purposes, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the USA.
Visitors face no English requirement at all, whatever the purpose of the visit — see our page on the standard visitor route. That includes people coming for private medical treatment and business meetings.
Planning Around the 2027 Change
Anyone on a five-year family route whose settlement application falls after 26 March 2027 should treat B2 as the target now rather than B1. Sitting a B2 test at the extension stage costs one fee and one booking; discovering the higher standard at settlement costs a delay to the whole application.
The same logic applies to anyone weighing whether to sit a test at all. Where an exemption is arguable but not certain — a degree that may or may not satisfy Ecctis, a medical condition that may or may not meet the threshold — a certificate removes the argument. The test fee is small against the application fee it protects.
Approved Tests and Providers
Only tests from providers on the Home Office approved list, taken at approved centres, count. The list changes, and a test taken with a provider that has since been removed is judged by whether they were approved on the date you sat it. Book from the current list rather than from a search result.
Two practical points. Book the version of the test intended for UK visa and immigration purposes rather than the academic or general version, because they are different products with different certificates. And keep the certificate itself, not a photograph — the reference number is what allows verification.
Booking the Test
Book early. Approved centres are limited in many countries, waiting lists lengthen around peak application seasons, and results take days rather than hours. An application timetable that assumes a test can be sat and certified within a fortnight is fragile in exactly the places where centres are scarcest.
Take the identity document you booked under to the test, because a mismatch between the name on the certificate and the name on the passport creates an evidential problem that is tedious to resolve. Where your name differs across documents, sort the evidence of that before the test rather than after the refusal.
Where Applications Fail on English
- The wrong test product: an academic version where the immigration version was needed.
- The wrong level: a certificate at B1 for a route requiring B2.
- Missing components: a certificate covering only some of the required skills.
- An unapproved centre: the right test taken in the wrong place.
- An expired certificate: valid when booked, expired at the date of application.
- Relying on an exemption that does not apply: most often a degree not assessed by Ecctis.
These are evidential failures, which means they are fixable — usually by a fresh application with the right certificate rather than by review. See our pages on refusal grounds, reading the refusal letter and administrative review.
Sources: Appendix English Language on GOV UK, the GOV UK knowledge of English pages and the approved provider guidance. Figures verified 22 August 2026.
Frequently Asked
English Requirement Questions
What level do I need for a Student visa?
B2 for degree level and above, B1 below degree level. Higher education providers may assess degree-level applicants themselves at the B2 standard.
What score do I need in a particular test?
The Rules set CEFR levels, not exam bands. Any published mapping is the provider's own. Book against the level and confirm the certificate will state that the UKVI threshold is met.
What is the family route progression?
A1 to enter, A2 to extend and B1 at settlement, with the settlement standard rising to B2 from 26 March 2027.
Am I exempt because of my age?
Yes, if you are 65 or over at the date of application. There is also an exemption for a long-term physical or mental condition, evidenced by a doctor's form and original medical reports.
Does my degree count instead of a test?
A degree taught or researched in English can. Where it is not a UK degree, you need an Ecctis assessment confirming the level and that it was taught in English.
Do I have to prove English again at settlement?
Not on several work routes, including Skilled Worker, Innovator Founder, Scale-up Worker and International Sportsperson, where it was proved at entry. Family and general settlement applicants do.
Do visitors need English?
No. There is no English requirement on the visitor route, whatever the purpose of the visit.
Is a US or Canadian passport enough?
Yes. Nationals of the recognised majority English speaking countries and territories are exempt, and the USA and Canada are both on that list.
Can I use one certificate for more than one application?
Often, subject to validity and to the components the later route requires. Sitting the higher level where you can is usually cheaper than testing twice.
What happens if I send the wrong qualification?
GOV.UK states plainly that a citizenship or settlement application will be refused if you send the wrong qualifications. It is an evidential failure, usually fixed by a fresh application with the right certificate.