Home Office reveals new visa rules including increased English requirements for migrants

Transcript

00:00The Home Secretary has announced that migrants coming to work in Britain will

00:03need to learn English to an A-level standard under stricter new rules.

00:07Tougher requirements for speaking, listening, reading and writing will be

00:10needed for certain visas as part of the government's immigration white paper

00:14measures, which are designed to reduce reliance on cheap foreign labour.

00:18The changes were laid in Parliament on Tuesday and are expected to come into

00:21force on dates following November 4th. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said it

00:26was unacceptable for migrants to come to Britain if they did not speak English.

00:30Those applying for skilled worker visa routes and graduates under the high potential

00:34individual visa will need to reach B2 level instead of the current B1 standard.

00:39But the move has been criticised as pushing a false narrative that migrants lack basic

00:44English skills. The new requirements will come into effect from January 8th, 2026.