What English test do I need for a UK work visa?

Only some UK work visas ask for English. Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Scale-up Worker, High Potential Individual and Innovator Founder need CEFR level B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. International Agreement private servants need B1. You can prove your English with an approved test, a degree, a UK school qualification or your nationality.

What English level does each UK work visa need?

CEFR is a scale for language ability. B2 is a higher level than B1.

Visa	CEFR level	Where it comes from
Skilled Worker	B2 in all 4 parts (reading, writing, speaking, listening). B1 if your most recent permission was as a Skilled Worker given with a B1 requirement	SW 4.1; GOV.UK
Health and Care Worker	B2. B1 applies if you had the visa before 8 January 2026 and are extending or updating it	GOV.UK
Scale-up Worker	B2. B1 if your most recent permission was as a Scale-up Worker given with a B1 requirement	SCU 4.1; GOV.UK
High Potential Individual	B2	HPI 4.1; GOV.UK
Innovator Founder	B2 in all 4 parts	INNF 11.1; GOV.UK
International Agreement, private servants in a diplomatic household (entry clearance)	B1 in all 4 parts	IA 7.11; GOV.UK
Global Talent	GOV.UK’s Global Talent page states no English requirement	GOV.UK

The GOV.UK pages used for this guide state no English requirement for these visas:

• Graduate
• the Global Business Mobility visas: Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier and Secondment Worker
• Seasonal Worker
• Creative Worker
• Charity Worker
• Religious Worker
• Government Authorised Exchange
• Youth Mobility Scheme
• India Young Professionals Scheme

The English rules (Appendix English Language) apply only to the visas the appendix lists, and these visas are not on that list.

For the full Skilled Worker rules, including extensions, see the Skilled Worker English language guide.

How can I prove my English?

You meet the requirement if any one of these is true (EL 2.1 and EL 2.3):

1. You met it in a previous application. You showed you met the requirement, at the level now needed, in an earlier successful application (EL 3.1).

2. You are a national of a majority-English-speaking country. The countries are listed below (EL 4.1).

3. You have an academic qualification. (EL 5.2) This can be:

   • a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctorate awarded in the UK
   • a degree-level qualification taught in a university or college in Ireland or in a listed majority-English-speaking country (except Canada)
   • a degree-level qualification that meets or exceeds the recognised UK standard and was taught or researched in English

   For a qualification from outside the UK, you need confirmation from the qualification and language assessments provider (EL 5.4). GOV.UK names Ecctis for this.

4. You passed an approved English language test. You need a valid digital reference number from an approved provider. You must have passed to the required level in each part in the 2 years before the date you apply (EL 6.1).

5. You hold a UK school qualification in English. This can be a GCSE, International GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification at level 4 or 5, or Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English (language or literature). It must come from a regulated awarding body. It must follow education at a UK-based school that began while you were under 18 (EL 7.1).

6. You are a regulated professional. This is for Skilled Worker applicants sponsored to work as a doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife or veterinarian. You must have passed an English language assessment that the relevant professional body accepts for registration (EL 9.1).

Which English tests are approved?

These visas need a test that checks reading, writing, speaking and listening:

• Health and Care Worker
• High Potential Individual
• Innovator Founder
• Minister of Religion
• Scale-up Worker
• Skilled Worker
• Start-up
• Student
• International Agreement private servants applying for entry clearance

Your test must be on the approved list and taken at an approved test location. You must have passed it in the 2 years before the date you apply. GOV.UK names these tests as Secure English Language Tests (SELTs):

Provider	Test names on GOV.UK
IELTS SELT Consortium	IELTS for UKVI, IELTS Life Skills
LANGUAGECERT	LANGUAGECERT International ESOL SELT, LANGUAGECERT Academic SELT, LANGUAGECERT General SELT
Pearson	PTE Academic UKVI, PTE Home
PSI Services	Skills for English UKVI
Trinity College London	Secure English Language Tests for UKVI (Integrated Skills in English or Graded Examinations in Spoken English)

For tests taken outside the UK, the approved providers are PSI Services (UK) Ltd, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson. Trinity College London is listed for tests in the UK. It is for you to decide which test to take. GOV.UK has a list of approved tests that gives the CEFR level and minimum grade for each. The GOV.UK page does not state IELTS band scores.

Which nationalities do not need to prove English?

If you are a national of one of these majority-English-speaking countries, you do not need to prove your English (EL 4.1):

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• The Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• The British Overseas Territories
• Canada
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Jamaica
• Malta
• New Zealand
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• United States of America

India, Pakistan and Nigeria are not on the list.

A doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife or vet who has passed an English language assessment accepted by their regulated professional body does not need to prove English again. If you proved your English in a previous successful visa application, you may not have to prove it again.