For international workers, the main work route into the UK is the Skilled Worker visa and in order to qualify for this visa, there are many rules which need to be met including a mandatory English language requirement. The Home Office has very recently increased this requirement.
Previously, the English language requirement was set at Level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and it has now been increased to Level B2 of the CEFR. Level B2 is essentially equivalent to A Level English and applicants must pass a four-facet test which tests their ability in speaking, reading, writing and listening. This is quite a significant increase and we have come across cases where even high-level engineers without formal qualifications have been unable to meet the English threshold and hence have not been able to be sponsored to work as work permit holders in the UK.
If a candidate holds a degree taught in English and equivalent to a UK Bachelor’s degree, then they would not need to sit a separate B2 test provided they obtain a certificate of comparability from ECCTIS, an organisation which can verify international qualifications and is recognised by the Home Office.
It is however important to bear in mind that the change only applies to new applicants and migrants who have already held a Skilled Worker visa before 8 January 2026 will continue to only require meeting the B1 threshold. Furthermore, it is quite possible that if a migrant has already demonstrated their knowledge of English in a previous visa application, then they may not have to prove it again and the Home Office also maintain a list of nationals from a majority English speaking country who are exempt from having to meet the English requirement. This includes countries such as the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The Home Office have also issued a White Paper with the central aim of reducing net migration and it looks set to be introduced into law in around April of this year. From an employer’s perspective, if a business is looking to sponsor a Skilled Worker, then it will be important to check the candidate’s ability in English in order to ensure that they can meet the B2 requirement unless they come within one of the exemptions. This may therefore need to be factored into the recruitment process as it can be a factor which adds more time in the visa process. The changes which the Home Office are seeking to implement in April will be some of the biggest changes which they have sought to introduce in many years. The changes are likely to affect many migrants who are already in the UK unless they already hold indefinite leave to remain or status under the Home Office’s EU Settlement scheme (EUSS). If a migrant has the ability to apply for indefinite leave to remain or British citizenship at this stage, then it may be worthwhile for them to act quickly before their entitlement is potentially changed what with the proposed dramatic changes envisaged to the immigration landscape.
For advice on this or any other immigration matter, please do not hesitate to contact Sohan Sidhu.
