Migrants hoping to work in Britain will have to speak and write English to A-level standard under new immigration rules unveiled by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
In the biggest shake-up of language requirements in years, the Government will raise the bar from the current GCSE level to an advanced A-level standard, as part of a sweeping plan to cut migration and encourage more Britons into work.
‘You must learn our language’
Ms Mahmood said the days of people arriving in the UK without being able to communicate properly are over.
“This country has always welcomed those who come to this country and contribute. But it is unacceptable for migrants to come here without learning our language, unable to contribute to our national life.
If you come to this country, you must learn our language and play your part.”
From January, all migrants applying for skilled work visas will have to pass a Home Office approved written and oral test before being allowed into Britain. They will also sit comprehension, reading and listening exams.
Raising the bar
The new B2 English level means migrants must be able to express themselves “fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions” and to speak English “flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.” That is the same as an English student taking an A-level in a foreign language.
By contrast, the old B1 requirement, roughly GCSE level, only asked that applicants understand basic issues at work or in school and write “simple connected text on familiar topics.”
Crackdown on low-paid migration
The language changes are part of a broader immigration crackdown aimed at reducing net migration and helping Britain’s nine million economically inactive citizens back into work.
Only graduate-level jobs or higher will qualify for visas, closing off 180 low-paid occupations from the system.
Employers hiring foreign staff will also face a 32 per cent increase in the immigration skills charge, which will rise from £1,000 on December 16.
Ms Mahmood will also make English proficiency a condition for settlement and citizenship, meaning anyone wanting to become British must meet the tougher B2 level.
For the first time, adult dependents of workers and students will also need to show a basic A1 grasp of English before entering the UK.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper added:
“We are working globally to disrupt and deter the abuse of our immigration system from every source, and at every stage of the journey.
That includes disrupting people smuggling gangs, negotiating more returns agreements, and ensuring that we deter people who would seek to exploit our visa system.”
