?? UK visa English requirement. Required for most UK visa applications; it can be met in three ways.

Knowledge of English

The easiest way to meet the UK visa English requirement is if you are a national of a majority English speaking country. These are:

  • 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
  • USA

But what if you are not a national of one of the above countries? Read on below to find out.

Academic qualifications

You can prove your knowledge of English if you have a degree or academic qualification that was taught or researched in English.

If your qualification is from a university or college outside the UK then you will need to provide a certificate from UK NARIC to show that your qualification is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree or higher and that it was taught in English.

There are 2 kinds of certificates:

  • a statement of comparability
  • a visa and nationality statement

You need a statement of comparability if you got your qualification from a university or college in one of these countries:

  • 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
  • USA

If you got your qualification from a university or college in any other country, you need a visa and nationality statement.

Secure English language test (SELT)

You can also meet the English requirement by taking an approved SELT test. The type of test depends on the visa you are applying for.

For the following application routes, you will need to take a test that assesses your reading, writing, speaking and listening abilities:

  • Innovator
  • Start-up
  • Tier 2 (General)
  • Student

For the following application routes, you will need to take a test that assesses your speaking and listening abilities:

  • Tier 2 (Sportsperson)
  • Representative of an Overseas Business
  • Spouse (partner)
  • Parent
  • Settlement (also known as indefinite leave to remain)
  • Citizenship

The level of test you will need, known as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level, will depend on the route you are applying for. We can advise you of this upon engagement of our service.

When you are exempt

You will not need to prove your knowledge of English or take a test if:

  • you’re over 65
  • you have a physical or mental condition that prevents you from meeting the requirement