Which English Test Is Required for UK Skilled Worker and Care Worker Visas?


Last Updated on October 1, 2026

With more providers looking overseas for staff, Skills for English has summed up everything you need to know about how proficient your employees need to be in the English language.

If you are wondering which English test is required for UK Skilled Worker visa or care sector roles, combatting the recruitment crisis remains high on the agenda. Measures to address it have included adding jobs to the shortage occupations list and significant investment in international recruitment. According to Skills for Care’s latest workforce data, an estimated 50,000 people arrived in the UK between March 2024 and March 2025 to start direct-care roles in the independent sector.

Meanwhile, the UK care sector has been looking overseas to recruit new staff. However, one major concern remains: the level of applicants’ English language skills.

What does the B2 level of English mean in practice? And is it a high enough level to deliver the expected quality of care?

Effective communication skills have a fundamental impact on the quality of care. When asking which english test is required for carer and Skilled Worker candidates, this is what you, as a care business owner or recruiting manager, need to know about the language exams the government requires visa applicants to take.

Which English test is required for UK Skilled Worker visa and care roles?

The UK requires most workers coming into the country on a Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa to satisfy a Knowledge of English requirement. For new Skilled Worker applicants from 8 January 2026, this is set at a minimum B2 level on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) across all four skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. A transitional B1 rule remains for some people extending or updating a Skilled Worker visa that was previously granted with a B1 requirement, and for those switching from a Health and Care Worker visa.

It is also important to note a significant policy change. From 22 July 2025, new overseas entry-clearance applications for care worker roles (SOC 6135 and SOC 6136) were closed. Transitional in-country applications remain possible for eligible workers already in the UK, subject to conditions, until 22 July 2028. The practical audience for new visa applications in this route is therefore mainly existing UK-based workers changing or extending their status. Full details are on the relevant GOV.UK sponsor guidance page.

The few who are exempt from the English requirement are nationals from countries where English is the official language: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the USA.

Certain qualifications, such as a GCSE or A-Level (where the course of study started before the age of 18), will also satisfy the requirement. An English-taught degree, or an overseas degree assessed by Ecctis, may also be accepted.

However, most visa applicants choose to prove their level of English by taking an approved SELT English test and achieving B2 level across all four skills.

What is an SELT English test?

SELT (Secure English Language Test) exams are English language proficiency tests accepted by the UK government as proof of required knowledge of English for visa and immigration purposes. There is not one single mandatory branded test – what matters is that the test appears on the government’s approved-provider list. That list currently includes IELTS SELT, LANGUAGECERT, Pearson, PSI Services and Trinity College London (for relevant UK tests). There are key conditions for the test result to be accepted. Visa applicants must ensure that:

  • The test is on the list of approved English language tests.
  • They take it at an approved test location.
  • Their test result is less than two years old at the time of application.

Visa applicants can choose from any of the approved test providers and will often make their decision based on how far they have to travel to a test centre, or whether they have to make multiple trips to take different parts of the test.

The Skills for English test is taken in a single session. It is available in a network of test centres in over 125 countries, including many territories where access to other SELTs is not as readily available.

One practical note for candidates: current workforce and recruitment evidence shows that informal networks can spread misinformation about visa requirements. Always verify requirements directly through GOV.UK, and treat advice from unverified agents with caution.

What does B2 level mean – and is it the right level for the job?

B2 is generally recognised as the upper intermediate level of language a non-native speaker needs to work confidently in a foreign country. In the UK, it is the level required for most Skilled Worker visa applications from 8 January 2026. The applicants must demonstrate a minimum B2 level in all four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing.

B2 is a language level on the Common European Framework of Reference of Languages, which makes it very useful to employers because it outlines what people can do at that level. You can expect that a person with a B2 level in a language can:

  • Understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics.
  • Interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible.
  • Produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects.
  • Explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

For most non-specialised jobs in the care sector, B2 is more than sufficient. It is also the level you can realistically expect from many countries in the world. To use examples from Europe, B2 is the level the Dutch tend to reach at 15 years of age, and the Spanish or Italians reach at 18. In some other countries, it’s the level reached when people graduate from university.

Outside of Europe, the countries where school leavers routinely reach B2 in English are those where education is conducted in English: the Philippines, Malaysia and South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria or Zimbabwe. Because these populations use English routinely in their daily lives, their speaking scores – and ability – will likely be higher.

This is important to note: the B2 level result presented by your future overseas employees is an indication of the minimum level of their competence. What you are likely to discover during the interview process, or shortly after they arrive in the UK, is that their communication skills are, or will soon become, much more sophisticated.

Most exams can help you see where the test takers are on the B2 scale and with PSI’s Skills for English, it’s easy. The Test Report Form lists the B2 Pass or Pass with Merit for each skill. A candidate with a Pass with Merit result will be on their way to reaching C1 level, which is widely accepted as the benchmark for entry to academic study at postgraduate level in the UK.

A test result is not the same as communication competence

Passing an English test is one thing; thriving in a care environment is another. Workforce findings from Skills for Care highlight that some internationally recruited workers with solid written and spoken English still face challenges with colloquial language and care-specific terminology on the job. Strong induction, ongoing education and clear support structures make a meaningful difference. A B2 result tells you a worker meets the regulatory minimum; good onboarding tells you they can actually do the job well.

It is also worth noting that, according to Skills for Care, internationally recruited care workers had a turnover rate of 25.9%, compared with 38.9% for domestically recruited workers – suggesting that investment in international recruitment and proper integration pays off over time.

The elephant in the room: shouldn’t we just follow the rules set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)?

The short answer is no. The language level required by the NMC is difficult to reach even for native speakers. How do we know? Because many native speaker nurses from countries such as Australia used to fail. In 2017, the NMC removed the test requirement for nurses from English speaking countries. One rationale for removing the test requirement was that it included an academic essay section, which was deemed unnecessarily difficult for native speakers. Ironically, nurses who don’t have English as a first language are still expected to pass it.

Despite minor adjustments to the individual skill score requirements, the overall score set for nurses remains higher than the score needed to take a PhD in Chemistry at a Russell Group University like Sheffield (see below).

NMC Nursing: Overall score on Academic IELTS: 7. Minimum score on Speaking, Listening and Reading: 7. Minimum score on Writing: 6.5.

University of Sheffield PhD Chemistry: Overall score on Academic IELTS 6.5. Minimum score on Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing: 6.

Some may argue that nurses need better English than chemists because of the time they spend with patients. But it’s not the social English needed with patients that is being tested: it’s the academic English needed to present a seminar paper.

Most social care workers do not need a test of academic English. A simple, affordable SELT English test of general English, set at the language level they need, is a better option. Why? Because it widens access to an industry desperate to fill vacancies, and it ensures the right level of English proficiency for what really matters: the job of caring for people.

Note that new overseas recruitment of care workers ended in July 2025. The practical audience for visa applications is now mainly existing UK-based workers changing or extending status until July 2028. A transitional B1 rule remains for some people extending a visa held before 8 January 2026.

Skills for English UKVI (SELT) is a UKVI-approved English test for visa and immigration applications. Through PSI’s UK office, we work closely with the Home Office and the Department for International Trade (DIT), supporting their missions of developing closer collaboration and forging new economic and educational ties with strategic partner countries.

The Skills for English suite of proficiency tests are the result of a partnership between the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and PSI, a global testing provider, delivering 17 million assessments a year in over 160 countries.

B2 Skills for English UKVI (SELT) exam provides the required proof of Knowledge of English for Health and Care Worker Visa applicants taking their exams outside of the UK.

For more information, consult the official list of approved SELT providers on GOV.UK or email [email protected]

The Skills for English suite of proficiency tests are the result of a partnership between the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and PSI, a global testing provider, delivering 17 million assessments a year in over 160 countries.

B2 Skills for English UKVI (SELT) exam provides the required proof of Knowledge of English for Health and Care Worker Visa applicants taking their exams outside of the UK.

For more information, see the approved SELT tests and requirements on GOV.UK or email [email protected]

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Which English test is required for UK Skilled Worker visa applications?

There is no single mandatory test brand. You must pass an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) taken at a certified test centre. For new applications in 2026, the Skilled Worker route normally requires a B2 level across reading, writing, speaking and listening. Check the GOV.UK route rules for full details.

Which english test is required for carer roles in the UK?

Care workers applying through the Health and Care Worker route need to meet the standard Skilled Worker English requirement. This generally means passing an approved four-skills SELT at a B2 level for new applications. You can use tests from approved providers like Skills for English, IELTS for UKVI, or Pearson, as long as they are on the Home Office list. Read the official guidance for health and care workers to learn more.

What is a SELT English test?

SELT stands for Secure English Language Test. It is not just any English exam, as the provider, specific test format and test centre must be officially approved by the Home Office. Your test result must also normally be less than two years old when you make your visa application. You can view the approved SELT list on GOV.UK.

Is IELTS compulsory for a UK care worker visa?

No, IELTS is not compulsory. It is just one of several approved options for a SELT. Other approved providers include PSI Services (Skills for English), LANGUAGECERT, Pearson and Trinity College London. You can choose the test that is most accessible in your location.

Is the English language requirement still B1 for care workers?

For most new visa applications submitted after 8 January 2026, the standard requirement is now B2 level. However, there is a transitional rule for some workers who already held relevant permission before this date. It is vital to check your specific immigration history before booking a test.