B2 English Now Required for ILR Settlement from March 2027
07 Mar 2026
If you are working toward Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) on a Skilled Worker, Family, or other long-stay visa, a new English language requirement is coming. From 26 March 2027, settlement applications on most immigration routes will require CEFR Level B2 in speaking and listening — up from the current B1. This change was introduced by the March 2026 Statement of Changes (HC 1691) and is separate from the B2 change that applied to new Skilled Worker *visa applications* from January 2026.
Who is affected
The B2 ILR requirement applies to settlement applications on:
- Skilled Worker, Scale-up, Global Talent, and Innovator Founder routes
- Family visas (Appendix FM — partners, spouses, and adult dependants)
- UK Ancestry visa holders
- Long Residence (10 years' continuous lawful residence)
- Private Life and Settlement Family Life routes
BNO visa holders are exempt — the B2 settlement requirement does not apply to the Hong Kong BNO route.
Transitional provisions
If you submit your ILR application before 26 March 2027, the current B1 standard still applies. The cutoff is the date of your ILR application, not when you were first granted your visa.
Note for existing Skilled Worker holders: The transitional protection introduced in January 2026 — which allowed holders who met B1 to continue extending and settling without retaking the test — was specific to the Skilled Worker visa application stage. HC 1691 now introduces a separate B2 requirement at the settlement stage, taking effect from March 2027. If your ILR application will be submitted after that date, seek specialist advice on whether you are protected.
What B2 means in practice
B2 (Upper Intermediate) is roughly equivalent to an A-level standard in a foreign language. You should be able to understand complex spoken and written English, hold a conversation with a native speaker without significant difficulty, and produce clear, detailed written content.
Approved test providers include IELTS for UKVI, PTE Academic UKVI, Trinity College London, and LanguageCert. Test results are typically valid for two years, so do not sit the test too early — check that your result will still be in date when you submit your ILR application.
Certain exemptions continue to apply (for example, based on age, disability, or nationality of specific English-speaking countries). Check the GOV.UK English language guidance for the full list.
What to do now
- If you plan to apply for ILR before 26 March 2027: the current B1 requirement applies to you. No immediate change is needed.
- If your ILR application will fall after March 2027: start preparing for B2 now. Book your test with enough lead time to resit if needed, and make sure your result won't expire before your application date.
- Family visa holders: this is the first B2 English requirement to apply to the settlement stage of your route — factor it into your ILR planning.
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