The English Language Requirement for ILR: B1, B2 & How to Prove It

Researched and maintained by the ILR Calculator UK editorial team · Reviewed against Appendix English Language and Statement of Changes HC 1691 in force on 24 June 2026 · General information about UK settlement, not regulated immigration advice. For advice on your own case, use an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) or a solicitor.

For most ILR routes you currently need to show English at CEFR B1 in speaking and listening — but this rises to B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027. You can prove it with an approved Secure English Language Test, a UK degree, an overseas degree taught in English, or by being a national of a majority English-speaking country. It is the language half of the Knowledge of Language and Life requirement, separate from the Life in the UK test.

What the English requirement is

The English language requirement is one of the two limbs of the Knowledge of Language and Life (KoLL) requirement for settlement, alongside the Life in the UK test. At the ILR stage it currently asks for CEFR B1 — an intermediate level — in speaking and listening. B1 applies across a wide range of routes, including work routes such as Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker and Global Talent, and family routes under Appendix FM. The settlement test is normally a speaking and listening SELT, not a four-skills exam, unless a route specifies otherwise.

The rise to B2 — and the change people confuse it with

There are two separate B2 changes in 2026 and 2027, and mixing them up is a common and costly error. One affects the entry stage of certain work visas; the other affects the settlement stage broadly.

Source: Statement of Changes HC 1691 (5 March 2026) and Appendix English Language. Settlement applications are assessed under the rules in force on the date of application, so your application date decides whether B1 or B2 applies.

How to prove the English requirement

There is no single way to meet it — most applicants qualify through one of these routes.

Source: GOV.UK — Prove your knowledge of English for a visa. A SELT must be taken with a Home Office-approved provider (such as IELTS, Trinity College London, LanguageCert or Pearson) at an approved centre; a certificate from a non-approved school is rejected.

Who is exempt

You do not need to take a test if you fall into one of these groups:

• Under 18 or aged 65 or over at the date of application.
• A long-term physical or mental condition that prevents you meeting the requirement, supported by medical evidence — assessed case by case and never automatic.
• A national of a majority English-speaking country — including the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Malta and several Caribbean nations.
• Already met it through a qualifying degree or an accepted earlier application (see below).

Reusing previous English evidence

Many applicants have already met the English requirement earlier in their route and do not need a fresh test. If you passed an approved SELT at the required level, or relied on a qualifying degree, for an earlier visa that the Home Office accepted, you can normally reuse it for ILR — even though SELT certificates are only valid for two years from the test date, because the reuse rule looks at whether it was accepted at the time. With the B2 change approaching, however, check carefully: a B1 pass reused for an application on or after 26 March 2027 may no longer meet the higher settlement level.

English vs the Life in the UK test

These two requirements are frequently confused because they are both part of KoLL and both often sat close together. They are different tests with different content: the English requirement measures language ability in speaking and listening, while the Life in the UK test checks knowledge of British history, institutions and civic life. You must satisfy both for most ILR applications, and being exempt from one does not exempt you from the other.

A timing trap to avoid

The B2 settlement change interacts with the proposed extension of ILR qualifying periods. If reforms push your qualifying date past 26 March 2027, you could find yourself needing B2 rather than B1 — even though you were planning around the lower level.