English Language Requirements (Confused)

[rg_del]

Hi All,

Apologies for the long post, I was a bit confident until I read experiences on this wonderful forum regarding my and my spouse's English language requirements for naturalization.

We both have got our ILR in August-2015, and was thinking we can tick on the option that we've applied for settlement after Oct-2013 and we will be sorted.

I have a Master's degree (India), taught in English which I've used in all my applications (Tier -1 and ILR) so far using a points based calculator. As per AN Booklet

"If you met the requirement to have sufficient knowledge of language and life in the UK when
you applied for settlement by having a B1 level test you do not have to demonstrate it
again. (People who applied for settlement on or after 28 October 2013 needed to have had
a B1 level qualification.)".

It suggests that if it's not a B1 level test, you need to follow the normal process of UK NARIC. Where as in the AN Guide it also has an option to submit " A print out from the points-based calculator, with the equivalent level of your degree and the level of English "

Please could you advice if I can
a) Send my degree and tick that I've already met the criteria during ILR (after Oct-2013)
or b) Send my degree along with point based calculator (a have a copy from my ILR application)
or c) Apply for NARIC confirmation and send my degree along with it.

My Wife
She got an ESOL Level 3 certificate from ESB, which she used in ILR and currently not on Home Office's list. I am not sure if ESOL Level 3 certificate is same a B1 CEFR qualification and if she can send this certificate after selecting that she had met the criteria during her ILR application (after Oct-2013) or go for a new B1 test from the approved list of centers.

Thanks for reading this, please advice what I should be doing? I am thinking a lot?

Regards,
RG

[Noetic]

As many have been asked for further proof even though they followed the instructions, the easiest option is to pay the £150 each and do the B1 test at an approved centre. The tests are mostly valid for 2 years only (unlike LITUK) so this is possibly why some are falling foul of the rule? AFAIK the points based calculator no longer exists.

http://www.trinitycollege.com/site/?id= ... paign=selt
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/why-cam ... ration/uk/

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... ebsite.pdf

[Noetic]

PS I think you should be OK with degree and NARIC but I don't know what the waiting times are for confirmation. I don't have experience with this side of things but it may just be easiest for both of you to do your test & make a day trip out of it.

[rg_del]

Thanks Noetic!

I do have a pdf copy of the points based calculator and as it's mentioned in the AN Guide can I still use it?

What about my wife's ESOL entery level 3 certificate used in ILR, is it same as B! CEFR, if yes I think I can use it because it was used in getting ILR.

Regards,
RG

[haiksuresh]

I hope the below link will clarify doubts,.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ ... ing-804789

[Noetic]

I'll leave the calculator question to people more experienced with this but the language tests are only valid 2 years and lots of people who thought they didn't need to get a new language test ended up being contacted by HO asking for evidence of passing B1 so if you want to be on the safe side I'd get her the test at one of the few approved centres.

[rg_del]

Thansk haiksuresh and Noetic!

I understand from the HO reply posted by haiksuresh that I may not need to get NARIC letter or get a new B1 qualification, but I will wait for some views from senior members.

For my wife, I think she can use her ESOL certificate (done in 2014) used for ILR in 2015 if ESOL from ESB is considered sames as B1 . I do have some links suggesting it's same but I can't find any official confirmation. - Senior members please throw some light on this.

http://www.englishtestuk.co.uk/faq states
"There is NO difference between ESOL Entry Level 3 and B1 CEFR. They are both equivalent level. CEFR stands for Common European Framework Reference. ESOL Entry level 3 is commonly used in the UK whereas B1 or B2 Level is used as a referencing for Europe as a whole. "

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_a ... n_language


Regards,
RG

[Noetic]

For my wife, I think she can use her ESOL certificate (done in 2014) used for ILR in 2015 if ESOL from ESB is considered sames as B1 . I do have some links suggesting it's same but I can't find any official confirmation. - Senior members please throw some light on this.

The certificate still needs to be from one of the approved centres on the list I posted earlier, and it still needs to be valid. Duration of validity is also on the list of approved tests and centres.

[rg_del]

Hi Noetic,

I looked at gov.uk regarding the same and it says

https://www.gov.uk/english-language/app ... ifications

"Applying for citizenship

You can use a B1 level qualification that’s run out if you’re applying for citizenship and it was accepted when you settled in the UK.

It doesn’t matter if the B1 level test you took isn’t on the current list of recognised tests. You don’t need to take another test."

Am i missing anything?

Regards,
RG

[Noetic]

Like I said a lot of people who followed that rule were asked to provide further evidence but if you don't want to do the test and HO aren't happy they will ask you for evidence so you may as well risk it.

[rg_del]

Thanks all for your reply, there is now another twist from Home Office by recently introducing new AN guide and booklet and it now does not have the phrase

"It doesn’t matter if the B1 level test you took isn’t on the current list of recognised tests. You don’t need to take another test."

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... e_2016.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... e_2016.pdf

Does it means, from now HO will only accept B1 qualification (used with ILR application) if it's in their current list of qualification?

Regarding my case, The new guide and booklet just mentions that I need a UK NARIC confirmation (there is no mention of previous use of degree or points based calculator).

All this mixed information from HO in these documents and Request for Information threads are just adding to existing confusion and now I am a bit worried about my application.

Please advice if there is any hope of reusing the existing qualifications used in ILR (after Oct-13) or we both should bite the bullet and sit for new approved tests.

Regards,
RG

[pelican2016]

Hi,

I am not an expert in this area and also about to submit my application next week. After reading the new guide I guess it is bit clear that if the language is already met as part of ILR.

EXEMPTION FROM THE KNOWLEDGE OF LANGUAGE AND LIFE IN THE UK REQUIREMENT:
If you have already satisfied the requirement to have sufficient knowledge of language and life in the UK for settlement, by applying on or after 28 October 2013, you do not have to demonstrate it again.

Hope my understanding is right and I am not going to submit any proof as part of my application except Indian degree certificate(just in case).

Regards,
AR

[rg_del]

Thanks AR, but the complete statement says

"If you met the requirement to have sufficient knowledge of language and life in the UK when you applied for settlement by having a B1 level test you do not have to demonstrate it
again. (People who applied for settlement on or after 28 October 2013 needed to have had
a B1 level qualification.)"

Don't you think, we need a B1 Level qualification? or I am not interpreting it correctly?

Regards,
RG

[pelican2016]

As Said earlier I am not an expert in this area so wait for Guru's to shed some light on the new Guide but from my understanding it was clear before and now that if you met english language requirement as part of ILR then you are exempted.

If you have a doubt then take a B1 test and as per others experience it is straight forward and easy test.

Regards,
AR