Who needs B2
- A first application for a Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa.
- Switching to Skilled Worker from a different visa. Switching from Health and Care Worker needs no new proof.
- Scale-up Worker and High Potential Individual applications ask for B2 too.
Who stays at B1
If you had the visa before 8 January 2026 and you are extending or updating it, you need B1, which you have already proved. You do not need to prove your English again.
Five ways to prove it
Doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and vets who passed an English assessment accepted by their regulator do not need to prove it again. Nationals of 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 and the USA are exempt.
- A GCSE, A level, Scottish National 4 or 5, or Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English from a UK school, begun before you were 18.
- A degree taught in English and awarded by a UK institution, even if you studied abroad.
- A degree taught in English from outside the UK, confirmed by Ecctis as equal to a UK bachelor's degree or higher.
- A pass at B2 in an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT).
- Proof given in an earlier successful visa application, in some cases.
B2 test scores
| Test | B2 needs | Where |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS for UKVI IELTS SELT Consortium | 5.5 in each skill | In and outside the UK |
| PTE Academic UKVI Pearson | 59 in each skill | In and outside the UK |
| LanguageCert Academic SELT LanguageCert | 60 in each skill | In and outside the UK |
| LanguageCert General SELT LanguageCert | 60 in each skill | In and outside the UK |
| Trinity ISE (Integrated Skills in English) Trinity College London | ISE II, pass | In the UK |
| Skills for English UKVI (4 component) PSI Services | B2, pass | Outside the UK |
Book the SELT version of a test: IELTS for UKVI, not standard IELTS.
When you settle, from 26 March 2027
Skilled Worker settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027 need B2 in speaking and listening, unless your visa was granted on B2 evidence. Before that date, Skilled Workers do not need to prove their English again to settle.
Questions
Is IELTS 5.5 enough for a Skilled Worker visa?
Yes, if it is IELTS for UKVI with at least 5.5 in each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. That is the Home Office's B2 line for IELTS for UKVI. One skill at 5.0 is not enough.
Does the Health and Care Worker visa need B2 English?
Yes. GOV.UK sets the same rule: B2 in all four skills for a first application, and B1 with no new proof if you had the visa before 8 January 2026 and are extending it.
I am extending my Skilled Worker visa. Do I need a new English test?
Not if you had the visa before 8 January 2026. You need B1, which you have already proved. If you are switching from a different visa, you need B2.
How long is an English test result valid for a visa?
Two years from the date it was awarded. The test must be on the approved list and taken at an approved centre.
What score is B2 on PTE or LanguageCert?
IELTS for UKVI needs 5.5 in each skill, PTE Academic UKVI 59, LanguageCert Academic or General SELT 60.