Settlement

Settlement routes that stay at B1 English after 26 March 2027

Three settlement routes keep the B1 speaking and listening requirement for applications made on or after 26 March 2027: the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) route, Domestic Workers in a Private Household (the worker and their partner or child), and the partners and children of HM Armed Forces members and service leavers. Most other routes that ask for English at settlement move to B2 from that date.

The three routes and what the rules say

Each rule asks for English "in speaking and listening to at least level B1" (or "of at least level B1"), unless an exemption applies. None of the three appendices, as updated on 8 October 2026, contains the 26 March 2027 switch to B2 that appears in the other settlement routes. Trinity College London's B1 page says the same: applicants from the BN(O), HM Armed Forces or Domestic Worker (Private household) routes "will continue to need to pass a B1 Speaking & Listening test".

How you can meet the requirement on these routes

All three routes point to Appendix English Language. That means you can show B1 in any of these ways:

• An approved B1 speaking and listening test passed in the two years before you apply. You give the test's digital reference number on your application. The four in the UK are Trinity GESE Grade 5, IELTS Life Skills B1, PTE Home B1 and LANGUAGECERT ESOL SELT B1. Compare them.
• A previous successful application for entry clearance or permission to stay where you already met the English requirement at the level needed now.
• Nationality of one of the majority English-speaking countries.
• An eligible academic degree, with Ecctis confirmation if awarded outside the UK. A degree taught at a university or college in a listed majority English-speaking country other than Canada, or in Ireland, needs confirmation of equivalence only; other overseas degrees also need confirmation that they were taught or researched in English.
• A GCSE, A level or Scottish Higher in English (language or literature) from a regulated awarding body, awarded after education at a UK school that began when you were under 18. Appendix English Language allows this for settlement on these three routes.

The age and medical exemptions apply too: 65 or over, under 18, or a condition that prevents you from meeting the requirement. See all the exemptions.

Domestic Workers: GOV.UK's guide and the Rules don't match

GOV.UK's general guide on proving your English lists the Domestic Worker in a Private Household visa among work visas whose holders don't need to prove English when they settle. The Immigration Rules themselves (DW 11.1 for the worker, DW 30.1 for a partner or child) say B1 speaking and listening is needed unless an exemption applies. If you're on this route, check your own position with a regulated immigration adviser before you rely on either.

HM Armed Forces: who the B1 rule covers

AF 29.1 covers partners and children of a serving member or service leaver. Separately, GOV.UK lists Commonwealth citizens on discharge from HM Forces, including Gurkhas, among settlement applicants who don't need to prove their English. If you're not sure which group you fall into, the rule for your exact category on GOV.UK decides it.

Everyone else applying from 26 March 2027

For routes such as Appendix FM partners and parents, Skilled Worker, Global Talent, UK Ancestry and Long Residence, an application made on or after 26 March 2027 needs B2 speaking and listening unless you're exempt. It's the date you apply that counts. If you can apply before then, a B1 test still works on those routes: see using B1 for ILR before 26 March 2027. For B2, see our sister site, B2English.

Common questions

I'm a BN(O) status holder. Do I need B2 for ILR in 2027?

HK 60.1 asks for B1 speaking and listening for settlement on the BN(O) route, with no date switch. Unless that rule changes, a B1 test passed in the two years before you apply meets it.

My partner is in the British Army. Which level do I need when I settle?

Under AF 29.1, partners and children of HM Armed Forces members and service leavers need B1 speaking and listening at settlement, unless an exemption applies.

Will these routes move to B2 later?

We can't say. The rules checked today say B1. We'll update this page if a Statement of Changes alters them.

General information, not immigration advice. We're independent of the Home Office and the test providers. Sources: Appendix Hong Kong BN(O), HK 60.1; Appendix Domestic Workers in a Private Household, DW 11.1, DW 30.1; Appendix HM Armed Forces, AF 29.1; Appendix English Language (EL 1.1, 2.4, 3.1, 6.1, 7.1); Appendix KoLL; GOV.UK: prove your knowledge of English; Trinity B1 English test page. Checked 20 October 2026.