UK Immigration

Tier 4 immigration

Applicants applying to study English in the UK will need to show that they have already starting to learn English when they apply for a Tier 4 visa; the following Cambridge ESOL qualifications fulfil this requirement:

BULATS (Business Language Testing Service)
Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)
First Certificate in English (FCE)
Preliminary English Test (PET)
Key English Test (KET)
Business English Certificate (BEC) - Preliminary, Vantage and Higher
International Legal English Certificate (ILEC)
International Certificate in Financial English (ICFE)
ESOL Skills for Life
ESOL for Work
IELTS

English language requirements for Tiers 1 and 2

Tier 1 - Highly skilled workers, investors, entrepreneurs or post-study workers

Applicants must prove that they have English language abilities at CEFR level C1 or above and the following Cambridge ESOL qualifications have been recognised by the UK Border Agency as meeting the requirement:

Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)
Business English Certificate (BEC) Higher
International Legal English Certificate (ILEC) – C1 Pass
International Certificate in Financial English (ICFE) – C1 Pass
ESOL Skills for Life – Level 2 and above
IELTS – bandscore 6.5 and above
BULATS (Business Language Testing Service)

Tier 2 – Sponsored skilled workers with a job offer

Applicants must prove that they have English language abilities at CEFR level A1 or above and the following Cambridge ESOL qualifications have been recognised by the UK Border Agency as meeting the requirement:

Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)
First Certificate in English (FCE)
Preliminary English Test (PET)
Key English Test (KET)
Business English Certificate (BEC) - Preliminary, Vantage and Higher
International Legal English Certificate (ILEC)
International Certificate in Financial English (ICFE)
ESOL Skills for Life – Entry 1 and above
IELTS – bandscore 4.0 and above
BULATS (Business Language Testing Service)

Tier 2 – Minister of Religion

Applicants must prove that they have English language abilities at CEFR level B2 or above and the following Cambridge ESOL qualifications have been recognised by the UK Border Agency as meeting the requirement:

Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)
First Certificate in English (FCE)
Business English Certificate (BEC) - Vantage and Higher
International Legal English Certificate (ILEC)
International Certificate in Financial English (ICFE)
ESOL Skills for Life – Level 1 and above
IELTS – bandscore 5.5
BULATS (Business Language Testing Service)

Please ensure that you contact the UK Border Agency directly to confirm English language requirements for your visa application.
www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk