Migrants will need A-level standard English to work in the UK, under plans announced by the new home secretary.
Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to raise the standard of English required from the current lower grade GCSE standard to the equivalent of A-level in speaking, listening, reading and writing.
Ms Mahmood said it was “unacceptable” for migrants to come to the UK “without learning our language”, claiming they were “unable to contribute to our national life”.
Migrants wanting to come to the UK on the skilled worker, high potential individual or scale-up visa routes will have to demonstrate they can speak B2 level English – equivalent to A-level standard – from 8 January 2026. This is up from the B1 level already required for these routes.
To come to the UK on the skilled worker visa, migrants have to have a minimum annual salary of £41,700 or earn the “going rate” for their type of work, whichever is highest. On the high potential visa, applicants must have been awarded either a university degree, masters or PhD.
The scale-up route is used for UK businesses that are fast-growing and need to hire foreign workers. Only 116 scale-up visas were issued in the year ending June 2025.
Increased language requirements will also be announced for other visa routes, including dependents, soon, the Home Office said.
Changes to the English language requirement were first reported in May when the government published their early plans in the immigration white paper. The new standard requires people to express themselves “fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expression” and to be able to communicate flexibly in social, academic and work situations.
Migrants wanting to come to the UK under these routes will have to pass a language test conducted by a Home Office-approved provider.
According to the government’s impact assessment of the policy changes, which was published on Tuesday, an increase in English standards would result in an estimated decrease of between 400 and 1,500 visa applicants in 2026-7. This was modelled across the skilled worker, health and care worker and high potential individual routes.
Home Office analysis of the skilled worker route found that 97 per cent of visa holders could speak English at least fairly well before coming to the UK – with 69 per cent saying they could speak the language very well.
In England, 18 per cent of adults aged 16 to 65 – or 6.6 million people – have very poor literacy skills, according to the National Literacy Trust.
Responding to the home secretary’s announcement, Dr Dora-Olivia Vicol, CEO of Work Rights Centre, said that the change “demonises migrant workers and arbitrarily moves the goal posts on what counts as integration”.
She added: “The last thing anyone needs after a summer of far-right violence is more tough talk based on bad data. By the government’s own admission, most migrant workers are already fluent in English. Increasing English language requirements from intermediate to upper intermediate won’t make any difference to integration – this is already happening”.
Under government plans, the time for international students to find a graduate-level job after completing their studies will also be cut to 18 months from the current two years.
From 1 January 2027, graduate students will only be able to stay in the UK for 18 months.
Ms Mahmood said: “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.”
The home secretary also announced that travellers from Botswana will now be required to get a visa before arriving in the UK, including for short visits.
It comes after a high number of Botswana nationals arriving as visitors since 2022 had gone on to claim asylum, the Home Office said.
The immigration skills charge, which is paid by employers sponsoring skilled foreign workers to come to the UK, is also being raised by 32 per cent – to £480 per person.
