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B2 English for UK settlement from 26 March 2027

The Immigration Rules already say that, for applications for settlement made on or after 26 March 2027, speaking and listening English must be shown at level B2 instead of B1 on a long list of routes, including Skilled Worker, Long Residence, Global Talent, Private Life and partner and parent settlement. It is a rule that has been laid, not a proposal, and it applies to people already on the path.

From 26 March 2027 the English language level for settlement (indefinite leave to remain, or ILR) goes up from B1 to B2 on many routes. This is not an announcement waiting for a vote. The wording is in the Immigration Rules now. It was laid before Parliament on 5 March 2026 in the statement of changes numbered HC 1691, and the appendices on GOV.UK already contain paragraphs that say B1 for applications made before 26 March 2027 and B2 for applications made on or after that date.

This guide sets out what the Rules text says, which routes the Home Office lists as covered, who is exempt, how an English test result has to look, and why the date of application matters more than the date a visa was granted. It describes the position on 10 October 2026. It does not tell you whether you meet the requirement, which route to use, or when to apply.

What has been laid, and what the Home Office says about it

The statement of changes HC 1691 was presented to Parliament on 5 March 2026 and is accompanied by an explanatory memorandum. The memorandum describes the change in paragraph 5.60 as one that "increases the English language requirement for settlement to B2 level under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) for a number of immigration routes where the existing requirement is at B1 level."

Paragraph 5.62 of the memorandum gives the date and the scope in two sentences. It says "These changes will come into force on 26 March 2027." It also says "The changes will therefore apply to those already on a pathway to settlement in the UK". It explains that the start has been deferred "in order to provide those subject to the new requirements with sufficient opportunity to take any steps necessary to meet them."

The Rules text itself is where the legal test sits. For a Skilled Worker, paragraph SW 22A.1 reads: "Where the date of application is on or after 26 March 2027, the applicant must, unless an exemption applies, show English language ability on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in speaking and listening to at least level B2." The settlement paragraph for Long Residence, LR 13.1, is written in two branches: B1 where the date of application is before 26 March 2027, B2 where it is on or after that date. The same two-branch pattern appears in the Global Talent, Private Life and Settlement Family Life appendices.

One detail can confuse a reader who goes to the statement itself. Its implementation section lists the paragraphs that insert these settlement rules among those that take effect on 26 March 2026. The memorandum describes the change as coming into force on 26 March 2027. Both can be true at once, because the inserted paragraphs carry their own date condition. What decides which level applies is the date inside the paragraph: the date of application.

Do not rely on the older GOV.UK route pages for this. The page for Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker settlement, last updated in January 2025, still says: "You do not need to prove you meet the English language requirements when you apply to settle using your Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, T2 or Tier 2 visa." The Rules text for applications from 26 March 2027 says otherwise. Where a route page and the appendix disagree, the appendix is the legal test.

Which routes the memorandum lists

Paragraph 5.60 of the memorandum lists the routes it says are covered. The list is:

  • Appendix KoLL (the knowledge of language and life rules for settlement routes that Appendix KOL UK does not cover);
  • Appendix Skilled Worker;
  • Appendix T2 Minister of Religion;
  • Appendix Representative of an Overseas Business;
  • Appendix UK Ancestry;
  • Appendix Global Talent;
  • Appendix Scale-up;
  • Appendix Innovator Founder;
  • Appendix International Sportsperson;
  • Appendix Child Relative (Sponsors with Protection);
  • Appendix Long Residence;
  • Appendix Bereaved Partner;
  • Appendix Private Life; and
  • Appendix Settlement Family Life.

It adds that consequential amendments are made to Appendix English Language. The settlement page for Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker holders on GOV.UK treats the two together, and the Skilled Worker appendix is the one that carries the new paragraph.

Dependants are covered too. The Skilled Worker appendix has a separate settlement rule for a dependent partner or child, SW 44.1, and it uses the same date split: B1 for applications before 26 March 2027, B2 on or after.

One route to check separately is Hong Kong British National (Overseas). The memorandum list does not name it, and the settlement paragraph read today, HK 60.1, says: "Unless an exemption applies, the applicant must show English language ability on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in speaking and listening to at least level B1." It has no date split in the text. Rules change often, so check the appendix again before relying on this.

Innovator Founder needs a closer look. The memorandum names the appendix, but in the text read today the date split appears in the rule for a partner or child (INNF 39.1), while the main applicant's settlement rules (INNF 15 to 21) list the Knowledge of Life in the UK requirement and no English language paragraph. Check the appendix again before relying on this.

The requirement is about speaking and listening only. Reading and writing are not part of the settlement test.

Who is exempt and what else satisfies the rule

Appendix English Language sets the exemptions and the other ways of meeting the requirement. The paragraphs that matter most are these.

Exemptions (EL 1.1). An applicant for settlement is exempt if at the date of application they are aged 65 or over, are aged under 18, or have a disability (a physical or mental condition) which prevents them from meeting the requirement. There is a further exemption for someone applying for settlement as a partner, parent or dependent child aged over 18 who has spent a continuous period of 15 years in the UK with permission. That person must still show a speaking and listening qualification at A2, and must provide confirmation from a qualified English teacher about 75 guided learning hours attended in the 12 months before the application. For applications on or after 26 March 2027, the teacher's view must be that the applicant is unlikely to attain B2 level through further study. Before that date the same paragraph refers to B1.

A previous application at the right level (EL 3.1). An applicant meets the requirement if they have already shown they met it "at the level required for their current application" in an earlier successful application. The words "at the level required for their current application" matter: a B1 result used for an earlier visa does not stand in for a B2 requirement later.

Nationality (EL 4.1). An applicant meets the requirement if they are a national of one of these countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British Overseas Territories, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States of America.

Degrees (EL 5). A bachelor's degree, master's degree or doctorate awarded in the UK counts. So does a degree-level qualification taught in a university or college in one of the countries above (other than Canada) or in Ireland, if it meets the recognised standard of a UK bachelor's degree or higher. A degree-level qualification that meets that standard and was taught or researched in English also counts. A qualification awarded outside the UK also has to be confirmed by the qualification and language assessments provider named in the Rules. Evidence is a certificate, a transcript or an official letter from the awarding institution.

A secure English language test (EL 6.1). The applicant provides a digital reference number from an approved provider "showing they have passed an approved English language test to the required level in each required component as set out in the relevant route, in the 2 years before the date of application."

The Knowledge of Life in the UK requirement is separate, and HC 1691 does not amend Appendix KOL UK. The exemptions in Appendix KOL UK include being aged 65 or over or under 18, or having a condition that prevents the person meeting it.

What an accepted test looks like

GOV.UK says settlement applicants need a test that assesses speaking and listening. The test must be on the approved list, sat at an approved test location, and awarded in the two years before the application. Results are valid for two years from the date the test is awarded. GOV.UK also says you should be able to take a test within 28 days of booking, though not always at the nearest location, and that a test booked through a third party should be checked against the provider's own website for price and credentials.

Inside the UK, the approved providers are Trinity College London, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson. Outside the UK they are PSI Services (UK) Ltd, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson.

The approved list matters here, because of how it is built. In the list of tests taken in the UK as it stands today, tests that assess only speaking and listening ("2-facet" tests) are listed at levels A1, A2 and B1. At B2 the list shows only four-skill tests, each with a minimum grade in every component:

  • IELTS for UKVI: 5.5 in listening, speaking, reading and writing;
  • PTE Academic UKVI: 59 in each component;
  • LANGUAGECERT Academic SELT and General SELT: 60 in each component;
  • LANGUAGECERT International ESOL SELT B2: 33 out of 50 in each component;
  • Trinity Integrated Skills in English II: Pass in each component; and, for tests taken outside the UK, Skills for English UKVI B2 (4 component): Pass in each component.

The Rules ask for speaking and listening at B2, and Appendix English Language asks for a pass at the required level in each required component for the route. Neither the appendix nor the GOV.UK testing page says anything more about how a four-skill result is read for a settlement application. The lists are updated from time to time, so check the current list of approved tests on GOV.UK, and the guidance for your route, before you book. A test result is also tied to its level: a pass at B1 does not meet a B2 requirement.

How the date of application works

Every B2 paragraph in the Rules is keyed to the date of application, not to the date the visa was granted and not to the date the decision is made. That has some consequences that can be read straight from the text.

  • An application made before 26 March 2027 is read against the B1 branch of the paragraph. An application made on or after that date is read against the B2 branch.
  • A person who has held permission for years under the B1 rules is still subject to B2 if they apply on or after the date. The memorandum says so in terms: the changes "apply to those already on a pathway to settlement".
  • A person who entered with a B2 qualification for their visa can rely on that earlier application under EL 3.1, provided it was at the level required for the current application.
  • The Skilled Worker page on GOV.UK says the earliest a settlement application can be made is 28 days before the five years are complete. Since the Rules look at the date of application, the date on which someone has completed their qualifying period and the date on which they could first apply can fall either side of 26 March 2027. This article does not say what any person should do about that. It is a matter of timing to discuss with a regulated adviser.
  • Dependants are tied to their own date of application, not to the main applicant's.

Other settlement requirements have not moved because of this statement. GOV.UK gives the ILR fee as £3,226 for each person, and the Home Office fee table dated 8 October 2026 shows no change to that line. The Life in the UK Test costs £50, must be booked at least three days ahead, has 24 questions in 45 minutes and needs 75% to pass. English test fees are set by the test providers, so check the price on the provider's own site.

What this rule does not decide

This change is one requirement among several. Settlement also depends on the qualifying period for the route, continuous residence, the sponsor and salary rules on sponsored routes, the Life in the UK Test and suitability. If you are close to the date and cannot yet show B2, the Rules do not give one general fallback; some routes have their own provisions. For Long Residence, for example, the Rules say a person who meets the qualifying period and continuous residence requirements but not the English language or Knowledge of life in the UK requirements may apply for temporary permission to stay instead.

Separately from this rule, the government ran a consultation called "Earned settlement" between 20 November 2025 and 13 February 2026 about changing how settlement is earned. The consultation page shows no government response. Nothing in this article relies on it, and it should not be confused with the B2 rule, which is already in the Rules. Our article on earned settlement sets out what was proposed and what the rules say today.

Citizenship is a different system. The Home Office's Form AN guidance, updated in July 2026, still describes the knowledge of language requirement for naturalisation as a Home Office approved qualification in English at B1 CEFR or higher, and says an ILR application made on the basis of a B1 qualification meets it. A later change to either could alter this, so read the current guidance when you prepare an application.

Finding a regulated adviser

Questions about which paragraph applies to a particular application, what counts as a date of application, or whether an exemption fits, are immigration advice. Only a person the law qualifies, such as a solicitor, a barrister or an adviser registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA, formerly the OISC), may give it. GOV.UK explains how to find an immigration adviser.

The Migratio directory lists IAA-registered advisers (with their level) and SRA-regulated solicitors, each with their regulator and registration number. Migratio is not regulated by the IAA or the SRA and does not give immigration advice. This page explains how the rules work; it does not tell you what to do in your case.

Questions people ask

Do I need B2 English for ILR from 2027?

The Rules ask for B2 in speaking and listening for settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027 on the routes the Home Office lists, including Skilled Worker, Long Residence, Global Talent, Private Life and Settlement Family Life, unless an exemption or another way of meeting the requirement applies.

When does the B2 English requirement for settlement start?

The rule text is keyed to the date of application: B2 applies where that date is on or after 26 March 2027. The explanatory memorandum says the start was deferred to that date to give people time to meet the new level.

Does B2 apply if I am already on a Skilled Worker visa?

Yes. The explanatory memorandum says the changes apply to people already on a pathway to settlement. The level that applies depends on when you apply, not when your visa was granted.

Is B2 English needed for partner ILR?

Appendix KoLL and Appendix Settlement Family Life are both on the Home Office's list, with B1 for applications before 26 March 2027 and B2 on or after. Exemptions include being 65 or over, a qualifying disability, and the 15-year route in EL 1.1(d).

Which English tests are accepted at B2?

The approved list shows four-skill tests at B2, such as IELTS for UKVI (5.5 in each component), PTE Academic UKVI (59) and LANGUAGECERT Academic or General SELT (60). The list changes, so check the current approved list on GOV.UK before booking.

Does the B2 change affect British citizenship?

Not through this rule. The Form AN guidance updated in July 2026 describes the language requirement for naturalisation as B1 CEFR or higher and says a B1 qualification used for ILR meets it. Check the guidance again when you apply.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-10.

Related guides

  • B2 English for Skilled Worker visas from 2026 — New Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker applicants must show English at level B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. People who held the visa before 8 January 2026 and are extending or updating need B1. Settlement applications from 26 March 2027 need B2 in speaking and listening.
  • Spouse visa English requirement: A1, A2 and B1 explained — Partner applicants must show English at CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening for the first visa, and A2 at the extension after 30 months if A1 was used before. You can meet it by nationality of a listed country, a degree taught in English, or an approved SELT taken within two years. People aged 65 or over, and some with disabilities, are exempt.
  • Settling as a partner after 5 years: ILR and form SET(M) — A partner on the 5-year route can apply for indefinite leave to remain after 60 months of continuous residence on partner permission with the same partner. The application costs £3,226, uses the online form SET(M), and needs the financial requirement, English and Life in the UK test evidence again.
  • ILR fee in 2026: £3,226 per person and extras — Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) costs £3,226 for each person applying, and the Home Office fee table of 8 October 2026 shows no change from the current fee. Most applicants aged 18 to 64 also pay £50 for the Life in the UK Test, and can pay £500 or £1,000 more per person for a faster decision where the application type allows it. There is no health surcharge for ILR.
  • ILR after a Skilled Worker visa: the 5-year test — Settlement as a Skilled Worker needs 5 continuous years with permission on listed work routes, absences of no more than 180 days in any 12 months, a sponsor that still approves and pays you at least the settlement salary, and the Life in the UK Test. Rule SW 22A.1 adds B2 English for applications made on or after 26 March 2027. The fee is £3,226 per person.
  • Earned settlement: what is proposed vs the rules now — Earned settlement is a proposal in a Home Office consultation that opened on 20 November 2025 and had a closing date of 13 February 2026. It is not in the Immigration Rules. The rules read on 10 October 2026 still set 5 years for Skilled Worker settlement and 3 or 5 years for Global Talent, and 3 years for Innovator Founder.
  • Long residence ILR: 10 years' lawful UK residence — Long residence is a route to indefinite leave to remain for people who have lived in the UK lawfully and continuously for 10 years. Most permission counts, visitor and some other time does not, dependants cannot be included, and the application fee is £3,226 (£1,407 for a two-year extension if English or Life in the UK is not met).