English language test for spouses of British citizens: what is going on? Part 1: initial visa and extension before October 2016.
When it comes to the English language requirement for a spouse, partner or fiancé(e) of a UK citizen, it feels like it changes all the time –and it does! We also have to mention here that these rules do not apply to spouses of European (non-UK) citizens at all, only to spouses and partners of UK citizens applying for a settlement visa under the UK law. Out of the old list of about 10 acceptable English tests only 2 continue to be “approved” from 15 November 2015. To make it more complicated, this short list of 2 tests was actually introduced from April 2015 but the old tests were still accepted until 15 November 2015. The only 2 remaining tests are IELTS and one by Trinity College. These are the only tests which are no acceptable if you are applying for a Spouse / Partner / Fiance(e) visa for the first time, in the UK or outside the UK, even if you had used a different test for a different visa before that (such as if you used a different test for a Tier 2 visa and are no