UK Immigration Blog, Thoughts and Opinions

The UK Border Agency has announced today  the introduction of compulsory English language tests for non-European migrants applying to come and join or marry their settled partner in the UK.

The new requirement will be brought into force in autumn 2010 and will affect those applying for a leave to enter and/or remain in the UK as a spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, same-sex partner, fiance(e) or prospective civil partner of a British citizen or a person settled in the UK. All applicants wishing to come and/or remain in the UK in one of the above categories will need to demonstrate basic knowledge of English at least equivalent to A1 level.

The Home Secretary, Theresa May,  has justified the changes explaining that it is a privilege to come to the UK and it is, thus, necessary to raise the bar for migrants to ensure that those who benefit from being in Britain contribute to the society. She believes that a good command of the English language should be a prerequisite for anyone who wants to settle in the UK and that  the new English requirement for spouses will help to promote integration, remove cultural barriers and protect public services.

The Home Secretary stated that this is just the first step in tightening the rules further and the UK government is currently reviewing the English language requirements across all visa categories.

Under the current rules, those applying for visas as spouses/partners must meet a range of criteria before being granted a relevant UK visa. All applicants must show that their marriage or partnership is genuine and subsisting, and that they can support themselves financially. Following the introduction of the English language requirement, partners coming to the UK from outside Europe will additionally have to provide evidence that they have passed an English language test with one of our approved test providers.

We will keep you informed on any developments in this matter, however if you are concerned about your future immigration plans, our UK immigration experts are ideally placed to provide you with accurate and up-to-date legal advice.