(Updated May 2017) English language for spouses of UK citizens: A1, A2, B1. How many levels are there and which of them do we need?

By 1st 4Immigration - #1 UK Immigration Experts -
When you are applying for your 1st Spouse visa, you need the most basic A1 level. This is true whether you are applying outside the UK or switching from another category inside the UK.

After the 1st Spouse visa you will need an extension. At the moment at that stage you would still need the same A1 level, so at the moment you wouldn’t need to worry about this rule at all. From May 2017, however, you need to demonstrate a higher A2 level when applying for extension. This new rule, having to prove A2 level, applies to those whose current Spouse / Partner visa expires from 1 May 2017 onwards – even if applying for extension before that!  You can read more on this here in the earlier post: http://1st4immigration-visas.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/new-a2-english-language-requirement.html

After that you could normally apply for a permanent visa. This is where an even higher B1 level would be needed.
 
For individual advice or to make an application please contact us: info@1st4immigration.com  or read testimonials on  http://www.1st4immigration.com/testimonials.php
 
We also have a very good post earlier on the confusion between A1 and B1 level when applying for “settlement”, as many spouses applying outside the UK are told – incorrectly – that they need a B1 level. You can read here about 2 meanings of the legal term “settlement” there and why there is a confusion: http://1st4immigration-visas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/english-for-spousepartnerfiancee-visa.html

We also have a recent post on how many levels there are: http://1st4immigration-visas.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/english-language-for-uk-visa.html 

If you are an Immigration Adviser or a Solicitor please visit our immigration Training and CPD website: www.1st4immigration.com/training We have a weekend OISC Level 1 course as well as a Points-Based System course and we also have online training courses, including Online OISC Level 1 course and courses focusing on Spouse/Partner visas. All our training courses are CPD-accredited with CPD credit accepted by  OISC.  

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