To be eligible for the working category, it is mandatory to meet the requirements set out. English is the official language of the United Kingdom. The ability to speak English to a competent level improves your potential to succeed in the United Kingdom labour market and helps you integrate into the United Kingdom. So you must have a good knowledge of English.
There are three ways that you can score points for English language. You can:
a) be a national of a majority English speaking country (a country where most people speak English); or
b) pass an English language test on our list of approved English language tests (PDF 44K opens in new window); or
c) hold a degree that is assessed by UK NARIC as being taught in English and is equivalent to a United Kingdom bachelor's degree or above.
You will also meet the English language requirement if:
a) you were given permission to stay under a tier 1 category (other than investors or post-study workers) and are applying for an extension; or
b) you were given permission to stay as a highly skilled migrant under the immigration rules which came into force on 5 December 2006, and you are applying for an extension under a tier 1 category.
If you are applying for permission to say (known as 'leave to remain') and have received a previous grant of leave under an immigration category that did not require a particular standard of English, you must meet this English language requirement.
If you are a national of a majority English speaking country, then you would automatically score 10 points for English language. These will be awarded if you are a national of a majority English language speaking country listed below:
§ Antigua and Barbuda;
§ Australia;
§ The Bahamas;
§ Barbados;
§ Belize;
§ Canada;
§ Dominica;
§ Grenada;
§ Guyana;
§ Jamaica;
§ New Zealand;
§ St Kitts and Nevis;
§ St Lucia;
§ St Vincent and the Grenadines;
§ Trinidad and Tobago;
§ United States of America.
If you have passed an English language test from the approved list from the Home Office, then you will score automatically 10 points for this category. If you have disabilities (for example, hearing difficulties) you are not exempt from the English language requirement. You should contact a test provider for details of support you can receive while sitting the test.
The Home Office accepts that you may need to take a test and they are able to leave your application open for around 5 working days. You can provide confirmation from the test provider that you have taken a test or have a confirmed date to take the test we will continue to hold the application open. The Home Office will not leave the application open if you have to re-take your test again.
Degree taught in English - These will be awarded if you hold a degree which is equivalent to United Kingdom bachelor's level or above and which was taught or researched in English to a particular level. We will consider this to be proof of your English language ability.
The qualification must be recognised by UK NARIC as:
- equivalent to at least a United Kingdom bachelor's degree; and
- having been taught in English to a standard comparable to that of level C1 on the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR).
Where the degree was taken in a majority English speaking country, listed below, we will assume it to have been taught in English:
§ Antigua and Barbuda;
§ Australia;
§ The Bahamas;
§ Barbados;
§ Belize;
§ Dominica;
§ Grenada;
§ Guyana;
§ Ireland;
§ Jamaica;
§ New Zealand;
§ St Kitts and Nevis;
§ St Lucia;
§ St Vincent and the Grenadines;
§ Trinidad and Tobago;
§ the United Kingdom;
§ the United States of America.
Canada is not on this list. If the degree was taken in another country, we assess the qualification using the points-based calculator, which you can find on the right of this page. The calculator contains information on the equivalency of overseas qualifications provided by UK NARIC. You can claim points if the points-based calculator confirms that:
- your degree is at least equivalent to a United Kingdom bachelor's degree; and
- the degree was taught to a competent standard of English equivalent to level C1 on the Council of Europe'ss Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR).
Checking qualifications - You should check your qualification by referring to the points-based calculator, which you can find on the right side of this page. If the calculator is unable to confirm that your qualification meets the requirement we will not award points.
UK NARIC will not be able to verify whether a qualification satisfies the English language requirement. So if your qualification cannot be confirmed by the points-based calculator, you should either present an alternative qualification from the points-based calculator if you have one or choose another way of meeting the English language requirement.
You must prove your English language by sending evidence to support your application, or your application will be refused.
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