B2 English requirement for ILR: the 26 March 2027 change explained

The English language requirement for UK settlement (indefinite leave to remain) rises from CEFR level B1 to level B2 for applications made on or after 26 March 2027. The change was made by Statement of Changes HC 1691, laid on 5 March 2026, which amends Appendix KoLL and the settlement requirements across roughly 14 routes, including Skilled Worker, Global Talent, UK Ancestry and Innovator Founder. The rule is based on your date of application: apply before 26 March 2027 and B1 is still enough. The English requirement for British citizenship stays at B1 for now.

What is changing and when

Appendix KoLL of the Immigration Rules now says it in black and white: an applicant meets the English part of the knowledge of language and life requirement with a speaking and listening qualification at a minimum of B1 where the date of application is before 26 March 2027, and at a minimum of B2 where the date of application is on or after 26 March 2027.

That date-of-application wording matters. The Home Office can take months to decide a settlement application, but the rules in force on the day you apply are the ones that count. An application submitted on 25 March 2027 with a valid B1 qualification meets the requirement even if it is decided later in the year.

As of September 2026, no later Statement of Changes has reversed or amended this. The most recent statement, HC 259 (laid 9 July 2026), dealt with other matters and left the B2 change in place.

Which routes are affected

The explanatory memorandum to HC 1691 lists the affected provisions: Appendix KoLL itself plus the settlement requirements in Appendix Skilled Worker, Tier 2 Minister of Religion, Representative of an Overseas Business, UK Ancestry, Global Talent, Scale-up, Innovator Founder, International Sportsperson, Child Relative (Sponsors with Protection), Long Residence, Bereaved Partner, Private Life and Settlement Family Life.

Crucially, this catches people already on a settlement pathway. If you entered the Skilled Worker route having passed a B1 test, you will still need to meet B2 at the settlement stage if you apply on or after 26 March 2027. Your old B1 pass does not carry you over the new bar.

The existing exemptions are unchanged: you do not need to meet the English requirement if you are under 18 or aged 65 or over at the date of application, or if a long-term physical or mental condition makes it unreasonable to expect you to meet it. There is also a limited waiver for some very long residents with 15 or more years of continuous leave.

B1 vs B2: how big is the jump?

On the CEFR scale, B1 is "independent user" level: you can deal with everyday situations, describe experiences and give brief reasons for opinions. B2 is upper-intermediate: you can understand the main ideas of complex text, interact with fluent speakers without strain, and produce clear, detailed language on a wide range of subjects. For many candidates that is a meaningful step up, typically requiring months of additional study rather than weeks.

For settlement you prove the level with a speaking and listening SELT from an approved provider (Trinity College London, IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert or Pearson in the UK, plus PSI Services abroad), or with a degree taught or researched in English. Our guide to which English language test you need for citizenship or settlement breaks down the options.

Citizenship English stays at B1, for now

The naturalisation English requirement sits under nationality law, not the Immigration Rules, and HC 1691 did not touch it. Home Office KoLL caseworker guidance still requires a speaking and listening qualification at B1 or above for citizenship, and confirms that someone who settled using a B1 qualification can rely on it again for naturalisation without sitting another test. The government has floated raising citizenship English too, but as of September 2026 no rule change has been laid, so treat anything beyond B1 for citizenship as speculation.

What you should do before 26 March 2027

If you will qualify for settlement before 26 March 2027 and you hold (or can realistically pass) a B1 SELT, there is a strong case for applying under the current rules rather than waiting. Check exactly how new Immigration Rules affect an application made before they come into force, and remember you can apply up to 28 days before completing your qualifying period.

Alongside English, most settlement applicants must also pass the Life in the UK test, and that requirement is not changing in March 2027. Passing both early takes two variables off the table, whichever side of the deadline you apply.