Labour’s Immigration Policy Raises English Language Bar for Migrants; Faces Backlash
New Delhi: Migrants applying to work in the United Kingdom are about to face stricter English language requirements.
According to a report by The Independent, UK home secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced that migrants seeking work in Britain will soon need A-level standard English proficiency.
The new rule, effective January 8, 2026, raises the required level from GCSE (B1) to A-level (B2) across speaking, reading, writing and listening. It has been announced as part of the Labour government’s tougher immigration policy aimed at ensuring newcomers “contribute to national life” through better language skills.
The Home Office said the new benchmark will ensure migrants can “fully participate in national life.” Applicants will be required to pass a B2 test, by the UK government, covering all four language skills.
To qualify for a 'skilled worker' visa, migrants must already earn at least GBP 41,700 a year or meet the “going rate” for their job.
The ‘high potential’ visa requires a university degree or higher, while the scale-up route, aimed at fast-growing British businesses, saw only 116 visas issued in the year ending June 2025.
The Home Office confirmed that other visa categories, including those for dependents, will also soon have similar language requirements.
An impact assessment of the change projects a fall of 400-1,500 visa applications between 2026 and 2027, particularly across the skilled worker and health and care worker routes. However, most migrants already have strong language skills – with 97% of skilled worker visa holders reporting they speak English “fairly or very well.”
Critics have slammed the move as performative rather than practical.
Dr Dora-Olivia Vicol, CEO of the Work Rights Centre, told The Independent that the policy “demonises migrant workers” and “arbitrarily shifts what counts as integration.”
She added, “By the government’s own data, most migrants are already fluent. Raising requirements won’t change that.”
Further tightening immigration routes, the UK government will also cut the post-study work period for international graduates from two years to 18 months starting January 2027.
In addition, travellers from Botswana will now need visas for all visits after rising asylum claims, and the immigration skills charge for employers sponsoring foreign workers will increase 32% to GBP 480 per person.
Mahmood said, “This country has always welcomed those who come to this country and contribute. But it is unacceptable for migrants to come here without learning our language, unable to contribute to our national life.”
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