UK Home secretary Announces New UK Immigration Rule: Higher English Requirement for Permanent Settlement. You now need to speak better English to live in the UK.
If migrants can speak English better, they will be able to help out and fit in with British life.
Under major changes that will take effect tomorrow, migrants who want to stay in the UK permanently will need to speak English better.
They are being told a full year in advance so they have the best chance to adjust to life in the UK.
The shift is the first step in the government’s Earned Settlement reforms, which are meant to reward people who contribute, fit in, and follow the rules.
Since January, people applying for most work visas have had to fulfil the higher A level criteria in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Most foreigners who want to reside in the UK now have to meet the new A-level equivalent criteria, which is higher than the present GCSE level.
Moving from one level to the next requires about 200 hours of study, which must be shown by a test given by a Home Office-approved provider.
The change comes as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will introduce new laws this week to bring order and control back to our borders. Tomorrow, she will give a lecture at the IPPR think tank about how these changes fit with her British beliefs.
Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, said:
Migration will always be an important part of Britain’s story, but people who come here should integrate, contribute, and share our British values.
The quickest way to fit in and make a difference is to speak English well. It’s how you get a job, take care of your family, and be a complete member of British society.
Put up a lot of effort, learn the language, and help your community. We are now putting that pact into law.
A change to the Immigration Rules will be made tomorrow (March 5), and it will go into force in March 2027.
The administration started asking the public for their thoughts on the Earned Settlement proposals last November. For most migrants, the usual qualifying time for settlement will double to 10 years. However, those who make a positive contribution to Britain’s economy and society will have shorter periods.
With the Earned Settlement reforms, qualified public service professionals like doctors and nurses may be able to settle after five years. High earners and entrepreneurs, on the other hand, may be able to settle after just three years.
More than 200,000 people answered the government’s consultation, which ended in February. Before any more changes are made, their answers are being carefully looked at.