When you apply for a Skilled Worker visa, you must prove that you meet the English language requirement in one of the ways listed below.
These are the only means by which it is possible to meet the English language requirement.
Exemption
You are exempt from needing to meet the English language requirement if, when you apply for your visa, you:
- are aged 65 or over; or
- are aged under 18; and/or
- have a disability (physical or mental condition) which prevents you from meeting the requirement.
Met as part of a previous UK visa application
You will automatically meet the English language requirement if you done so, at the level required for your current visa application, in a previous successful application.
‘Majority English-speaking’ country
You will automatically meet the English language requirement if you are a citizen of one of the following countries:
- Anguilla*
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- The Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda*
- British Antarctic Territory*
- British Indian Ocean Territory*
- British Virgin Islands*
- Canada
- Cayman Islands*
- Dominica
- Falkland Islands*
- Gibraltar*
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Jamaica
- Malta
- Montserrat*
- New Zealand
- Pitcairn Islands*
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha*
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands*
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Islands*
- United States of America
*collectively The British Overseas Territories
If you currently hold dual citizenship which includes one of the countries above, but you are not applying on the basis of that passport, you should include the details in your visa application (under “Do you currently hold, or have you ever held, any other nationality or citizenship?”). You will then meet the English language requirement without needing to satisfy any of the other ways of doing so.
English language test
You may show that you meet the required level of English by passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider. The test must assess your reading, writing, speaking and listening abilities (4-facet test) and you must pass at level B1 or above (A1 is the lowest pass mark, C2 is the highest). You must have passed the test in the 2 years before you apply for your visa.
Academic qualification
If you have a Batchelors, Masters or Doctorate (PhD) qualification which was taught or researched wholly in English, you may be able to use this to prove your knowledge of English. How you can do so depends on where it was awarded:
Awarded by an institution in the UK
You may use your certificate, a transcript or an official letter from the awarding institution.
Awarded by an institution in Ireland or in one of the countries (except Canada) listed under ‘Majority English-speaking’ country above
These qualifications will be be assumed by UKVI to have been taught/researched in English. However, you must use the Ecctis Qualification Comparison service to verify the degree is equivalent at least a UK bachelors degree.
Awarded by an institution in any other country
You must use the Ecctis English Proficiency and Qualification Comparison service to verify the degree was taught in English and is equivalent at least a UK bachelors degree.
GCSE or A Level English
If you went to school in the UK before you were aged 18 and you have a GCSE, an International GCSE, an A level, a Scottish National Qualification at level 4 or 5, or a Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English (language or literature) that was awarded by an Ofqual (or SQA, Qualifications Wales or CCEA) regulated awarding body, you will automatically meet the English language requirement. You will need to provide a certificate or a transcript from the awarding body.
Version: 3
Last updated: May 2025
Owner: HR Compliance Team