The English language proficiency criterion is one of the prerequisites for applying for a Spouse visa UK or partner visa. The UK spouse visa requires that you provide evidence of your ability to communicate effectively in English. This is a critical factor in successfully submitting a spouse visa application, as the Home Office will utilise it to ascertain your ability to adjust to life in the United Kingdom.
If you have questions regarding is IELTS required for UK spouse visa, or Is IELTS compulsory for a UK spouse visa? Then, you are at the right place. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of the English language criteria for a spousal visa, the requirements for a spouse visa extension, and the long-term health issues and unusual circumstances that qualify for an exemption from the English language requirement.
Who Must Take an English Language Exam?
You must demonstrate your proficiency in English as a spouse visa candidate by passing a secure English test for UK spouse visa, Unless you are exempt under any of the following conditions:
- You are a citizen of a nation with a majority of English speakers.
- You are 65 years of age or older, hold an appropriate academic degree that was primarily taught or studied in English, or have a chronic physical or mental illness that keeps you from fulfilling the requirements.
- Also, you may not be able to satisfy the criterion before travelling to the UK due to extraordinary circumstances.
What Are the Standard Guidelines for English Language Tests?
You must make sure that you take an authorised secure English language exam (SELT) from an authorised provider if you must take one to meet the UK spouse visa English test requirements.
Additionally, the exam must be taken at a test facility certified by the Home Office and must have been given no more than two years before the spouse visa application date.
If you must take your exam in the UK, the following recognised test providers and the names of their certified SELTs are listed:
- London’s Trinity College: “Safe English Language Tests for UKVI”: Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE) or Integrated Skills in English (ISE)
- IELTS SELT Consortium: “IELTS Life Skills” or “IELTS for UKVI”
- “LanguageCert International ESOL SELT” is LanguageCert.
- Pearson: “PTE Home” or “PTE Academic UKVI”
If you must take your exam outside of the UK, the following recognised test providers and the names of their certified SELTs are listed:
- UK-based PSI Services Ltd: “English Proficiency for UKVI”
- IELTS SELT Consortium: “IELTS Life Skills” or “IELTS for UKVI”
- “LanguageCert International ESOL SELT” is LanguageCert.
- Pearson: “PTE Home” or “PTE Academic UKVI”
At what level do I need to perform well on my English language exam?
If you’re a UK citizen married to an EU citizen, then you also must pass your English language exam at an A1 level or above for speaking and listening abilities on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale in order to apply for a spouse visa for the first time.
The six levels of the CEFR scale are
- A1
- A2
- B1
- B2
- C1
- C2
C2 is the highest proficiency level, and A1 is the lowest.
English Test for Spouse Visa Extension
It is important to note that the minimum language pass threshold will increase to A2 if you wish to extend your Spouse visa to remain in the UK for more than 2.5 years.
This implies that you will need to take another test to pass at the A2 level even if you passed your first one at the A1 level.
As long as your test provider hasn’t revoked your test certificate, you can use your test score again if you passed your first exam at an A2 level or above.
In the same way, the minimum language proficiency requirement will increase to the B1 level if you want to apply for indefinite leave to stay after five years.
If you have previously passed at a B1 level or above and the test certificate hasn’t been revoked, you are permitted to utilise your prior test results again.
If you’re still confused about what are the English requirements for a spouse or need any help with your spouse visa application, get in touch with us now at 02033939272.
What Documents Are Required for the English Language Exam?
When taking your English language exam, you will need to carry a legitimate form of identification. This needs to be:
- Be up-to-date and legitimate.
- Be unique rather than a photocopy.
- Add a picture of yourself.
- Complement the details you provided when scheduling the test.
Any of the following can be used as a legitimate form of identification:
- UK passport Residence Permit with Biometrics
- UK Residence card with biometrics Conventional travel document
- Travel documents for stateless individuals
If you are an EEA national taking the exam in the UK or the countries where the identification card was issued, you may also use it.
If you’re taking the test in the nation where the identification card was issued, you can also utilise a legitimate picture ID from the government.
What Happens After the Test?
You will receive a unique reference number from SELT once you have finished the test.
This reference number is a verification of your test results and is required for your spouse’s visa application.
Depending on the test provider you used, SELT reference numbers can also go by various names:
- “UER” for examinations at Trinity College London
- IELTS “UKVI number” Tests of the SELT Consortium
- LanguageCert exams’ “Candidate URN”
- For Pearson exams, “SELT URN”
- “URN” for PSI English exam skills
When you submit your application, the Home Office will use your SELT reference number to verify your test results. At that point, you will not need to submit any further paperwork.
Which nations are regarded as having a majority of English speakers?
If you’re a citizen of a nation where English is the primary language, you won’t need to take an exam to demonstrate your proficiency in the language. These nations are as follows:
- Belize
- Canada
- The Dominican Republic
- Barbuda and Antigua
- Australia
- The Bahamas
- Barbados
- Malta
- The New Zealand
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Jamaica
- Nevis and St. Kitts
- Lucia
- The Grenadines and St. Vincent
- USA: Trinidad and Tobago
What Are the Academic Qualifications Guidelines?
Demonstrating that you possess an approved academic certification is another option to be exempt from taking an English language exam. This can be either:
- A PhD, master’s degree, or bachelor’s degree granted in the United Kingdom.
- A comparable undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral degree granted outside of the United Kingdom that was mostly taught or studied in English.
- If your degree was granted in the UK, you only need to provide your degree certificate to meet the language criterion for the spouse visa.
- If your degree was granted outside the UK, you will need to present a certificate from Ecctis to prove that it satisfies the requirements.
- This will either be a nationality and visa statement or a statement of comparability.
If your qualification was granted in one of the specific qualifying nations, you will require a declaration of comparability.
You will require a visa and a declaration of nationality if your qualification was granted in another nation.
Which Countries Require a Statement of Comparability?
If your academic degree was granted in any of the following nations, you will need to get a declaration of comparability from Ecctis:
- Barbuda and Antigua
- Australia
- The Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- The Dominican Republic
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Malta
- The New Zealand
- Nevis and St. Kitts
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia
- Tobago and Trinidad
- USA
You will need to get a visa and nationality declaration if your qualification was granted in another country.
What Are the Fees for English Language Tests?
English language exams might cost differently depending on the test provider, where you take your test, and at what level you would desire to strive for.
Still, A1-accredited English language examinations usually cost about £150 to take.
Furthermore, expenses arise if you must obtain a certificate from Ecctis to authenticate your academic credentials.
This will set you about £49.50 if you want a comparability statement.
If you require a visa and nationality statement, the cost will be between:
- £140 to prove English competency
- £210 to confirm a PhD-level qualification with English language competency
Long-term health conditions exempt from Spouse visa English requirement
If you are unable to demonstrate your English proficiency due to a chronic medical or mental illness, you will not be required to do so. You must seek a “Waiver request for the knowledge of language and life in the UK requirement: medical opinion” from your physician, outlining your reasons for being exempt from the English language requirement for spouse visas. Long-term health issues might include speech impairment, deafness, muteness, or particular illnesses like aphasia or dysphasia that make it hard to converse.
When deciding whether you have a medical condition that exempts you from the English language requirement, UKVI will use its judgement and evaluate each situation individually. Your application may be rejected by the Home Office if you cannot show them that you have a legitimate medical condition that might prevent you from learning or speaking English.
Exceptional circumstances for English requirement for spouse visa exemption
You could be excluded from fulfilling the English language requirement if certain extraordinary circumstances exist. There is no set list of exceptional circumstances, but you must demonstrate that you have a valid cause for not being able to study English before moving to the UK or that travelling to another country to take an authorised SELT is not feasible or acceptable.
There are exceptional situations that exclude spouse visas from the English requirement.
These exceptional situations might be the following:
- Be a resident of a nation experiencing internal or international armed conflict.
- Reside in a nation experiencing or having experienced a humanitarian crisis.
- Been in the hospital for a number of months.
- Is the full-time caretaker for a handicapped kid is the full-time caretaker of a handicapped child and is also applying to visit the UK.
- If you are a long-term resident of a country that lacks an approved A1 test provision and it is not feasible or reasonable for you to travel to another country to take the test.
If you require any assistance with your english test for spouse visa, contact one of our knowledgeable and approachable immigration attorneys at 0203 393 9272 or fill out our inquiry form.
How Can Rees Clayton Help?
Under immigration regulations, many visa applicants must take an English language exam to be eligible for entrance into the UK. Applicants for spouse visas, in particular, will need to meet rigorous relationship, financial, and housing standards.
Rees Clayton can help you with your Spouse visa application if you need help meeting any of the qualifying requirements, such as the minimum English language proficiency requirement.
With decades of expertise in UK visas and immigration, we are knowledgeable immigration attorneys.
We can help you with your application, including identifying the most effective ways to meet the language requirement and help you assess your eligibility for the Spouse visa. We can assist you whether you seek professional advice and instruction for your English language exam, assistance in acquiring an Ecctis certificate, or proof that you are exempt from the language requirements.
FAQs
Do civil partners, fiancé(e), married partners, and unmarried partners all need to speak English?
Yes. Applicants seeking partner visas who are married, in a civil partnership, engaged, or applying as unmarried partners must meet the same English language proficiency criterion. As mentioned above, however, those who wish to renew their partner visa beyond 30 months must meet the requirements for a minimum CEFR level of A2.
What documents must we provide to prove that we passed the English language exam for the UK spouse visa?
The SELT unique reference number (URN) is all that is needed. Although it is not absolutely necessary, we usually advise submitting the English language test certificate because it will frequently save the Home Office caseworker time.
Does the 10-year partner or private life path require candidates to take an English language test?
Those who apply for a FLR(M) visa through the private life or 10-year partner route are exempt from the English language requirement and are thus not expected to take the exam. The 10-year partner method is only valid in cases when the typical spouse visa requirements are not fulfilled, therefore please be aware that most partners will not be applying under this route.
Do dependent children have to take an English exam if they are applying at the same time?
No. Children who are dependent and applying at the same time are exempt from taking an English language exam.
Is there a deadline for taking the IELTS for a spouse visa UK?
In general, yes. After two years, an IELTS for spouse visa UK exam will no longer be valid.
However, the applicant will often be able to use the same test to satisfy the English language requirement in subsequent applications, provided they submit a higher-level exam (such as an A2 or B1) when they apply for their first spouse visa.
