English Language Requirement for Settlement Rising to B2 from March 2027 - BNO Route Exempt
18 Mar 2026
If you're on a Skilled Worker, Family, UK Ancestry, Scale-up, Global Talent, or Long Residence route, the English language bar for your ILR application is going up. The Statement of Changes HC 1691, published on 5 March 2026, confirmed that settlement applications lodged on or after 26 March 2027 must meet CEFR Level B2 — "upper intermediate" — rather than the current B1. You have just over a year to prepare.
B2 is a meaningful step up from B1. On IELTS, B1 corresponds roughly to a score of 4.0–5.0, while B2 sits at around 5.5–6.5. On the Secure English Language Test (SELT) scale, providers such as Trinity ISE and LanguageCert have separate B1 and B2 grades. If you passed an English language test at B1 for your original visa application, that certificate will not be sufficient for your settlement application if you apply on or after 26 March 2027. You will need a new test showing B2.
If you're on the BNO route, this change does not apply to you. The British National (Overseas) pathway uses a separate appendix (Appendix BN(O) Pathway) that is not within the scope of HC 1691's English language amendments. Your settlement application will not be subject to the B2 threshold. Standard exemptions continue to apply to all routes — if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country, or you meet the relevant age or disability criteria, you remain exempt regardless of which route you are on.
For Skilled Worker and Family visa holders approaching their ILR date in 2027 or later, it is worth checking your current English language qualification now. If your certificate is at B1 and you are planning to apply for settlement after 26 March 2027, book a B2 test well in advance. Approved test providers are listed on GOV.UK. If you can bring your ILR application forward to before 26 March 2027, the existing B1 requirement still applies.
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