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UK imposes tougher new English language tests for skilled visa applicants

Time for international students to find a graduate-level job after completing their studies under the Graduate Route visa, popular among Indian students, will be cut to 18 months from the current two years from January 1, 2027

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The UK Government on Tuesday tabled tougher new English language test requirements on visa applicants, including from India, in Parliament as part of a wider crackdown on soaring levels of immigration into the country.

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The new “Secure English Language Test” will be conducted by a Home Office-approved provider, with the results to be verified as part of a subsequent visa application process for all skilled workers from January 8, 2026.

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An applicant’s standard of speaking, listening, reading and writing English must be equivalent to A-Level or Class 12, referred to as level B2, which the Home Office believes will ensure applicants are “better able to integrate into life in the UK”.

“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,” said UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

“If you come to this country, you must learn our language and play your part,” she said.

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Laid out as part of a written ministerial statement (WMS) in the House of Commons this week, the measures form part of the British government’s ‘Immigration White Paper’ from May, designed to tighten the visa regime.

Among the other changes in law, the time for international students to find a graduate-level job after completing their studies under the Graduate Route visa, popular among Indian students, will be cut to 18 months from the current two years from January 1, 2027. However, PhD-level graduates will continue to be eligible for three years of permission as part of an announcement made earlier this year.

“This change is informed by data showing that too many graduates are not progressing into graduate-level employment, which the Graduate Route was created to facilitate access to. It is intended to ensure that those who remain in the UK transition into graduate-level jobs and properly contribute to the UK economy,” reads the parliamentary statement from Home Office Minister Mike Tapp.

Finance requirements for student visas will also be increased for the 2025-2026 academic year, meaning foreign students will have to demonstrate they have sufficient funds to support themselves. The current requirement of having maintenance funds of 1,483 pounds per month will be raised to 1,529 pounds for London and to 1,171 pounds per month (up from 1,136 pounds) for the rest of the UK.

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