Migrants will need A-level standard English to work in UK

Any migrants arriving in the UK will have to speak English to an A-level level under tighter new legislation that will be introduced by the government. The new regulations, which go into operation from 8 January 2026, will impact some graduates and those applying for skilled worker or scale-up visas, which are for people employed by fast-growing companies. The new laws are part of broader efforts to reduce the number of immigrants entering the country as outlined in a white paper in May.

You must learn our language and play your part if you are coming to this country,

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said.

This country has always welcomed those who come to this country and contribute,

Mahmood said.

But it is inhuman for migrants to arrive here without knowing our language and therefore ineffective at contributing to our national life.

Applicants will be tested in person on their speaking, listening, reading, and writing at Home Office-approved agencies, with their results checked as part of the visa process. Many aspiring for skilled worker, scale-up, and high-potential individual (HPI) visas will be required to pass B1 level, which is a step up from the previous B1 standard, which are equivalent to GCSE. Migrants must work for a government-approved employer and make more than £140,000 a year, or the going rate for their type of work to enter the United Kingdom on the skilled worker visa, whichever is higher. Migrants are welcome to work in a fast-growing UK company with the scale-up visa. Migrants can apply for a high-quality individual visa if they have been granted a degree from a top global university within the last five years. Learners who complete B2 level will

understand the key concepts of complex texts on concrete or abstract topics,

according to the British Council, which offers English language courses. They can express themselvesfluently and spontaneously

and easily communicate with other English speakers, and they can even speak comfortably with others. They can also produce

clear, detailed text on several topics

and lay out a complicated viewpoint. Home Office Minister Mike Tapp told Parliament on Tuesday that further English language requirements for other visa routes and family dependents are set to be introduced in due course. The prime minister had earlier stated that the reforms in the white paper would make the UK's immigration system

controlled, selective, and fair. According to the Home Office, the steps may have reduced the number of people coming to the UK by up to 100,000 per year. Net migration to the United Kingdom fell to 431,000 in 2024, down nearly 50% from the previous 2023 total number of 906,000.

According to Dr Madeleine Sumption, the administrator of the University of Oxford's Migration Observatory, the government faced a trade-off between

ensuring migrants speak good English and encouraging employers to recruit employees who are likely to receive financial benefits.

Many graduate degrees already require language skills that are not at least A-level,she said. The new language skills will havemore effect in middle-skilled careers that require specialized and manual skills, where employers do not usually require high language proficiency. Afsana Akhtar, an immigration lawyer, told BBC News that she found it unfair that migrants had to achieve such a high level of English

because many people in the United Kingdom will undoubtedly not be able to pass English A-level.

This would rule out even highly skilled employees who want to come and contribute to our British economy,she said.The GCSE curriculum is appropriate,

the English language of life is expected, and when they live here, [and] integrate into England and the English way of life, their English will improve naturally.

In addition, the white paper's time limit has been reduced for international students to seek a graduate degree after their course finishes from two years to 18 months, which will go into operation in January 2027. Students will also have to meet higher financial standards, which have risen to £1,171 a month outside London (from £1,136) for up to nine months. The Global Talent Visa, which has been extended to include winners of more prestigious awards for high achievers in technology, arts, and academia fields. The immigration skills charge for UK employers has also increased to £480 per person per year for small businesses or charities, while large companies' budgets have been reduced to £1,320 per person for large organisations and large businesses. This is a donation made to the charity of 364 and £1,000 respectively. The HPI route will be expanded as part of the government's efforts to recruit highly skilled workers to the country. The number of migrants on the visa is expected to increase from 2,000 to 4,000, but there will be a cap of 8,000 applicants per year.