Prove your Knowledge of English for UK Visas & Immigration

If you are applying for visas or citizenship applications, you have to provide valid proof of your English proficiency by passing a secure English language test – SELT with the required score.

Types of Applications that Require an English Proficiency Test

Different immigration ways have different requirements for English proficiency tests. First, you will have to find what you are applying for according to that, you will take up the exam. We have listed a few application visa types that you can apply for.

Enlisted visa applications will require you to take up a reading, writing, speaking, and listening English test:

• Health and Care Worker Visa
• High Potential Individual Visa
• Innovator Founder Visa
• Minister of Religion Visa
• Scale-up Worker Visa
• Skilled Worker Visa
• Start-up Visa
• Student Visa

Who are the Approved English Test Providers?

If you are in the United Kingdom, you are only eligible to take up SELT – Secure English Language Test through the enlisted providers:

• Pearson
• Trinity College London
• IELTS SELT Consortium
• LanguageCert

If you are outside of the United Kingdom, you are only eligible to take up SELT – Secure English Language Test through the enlisted providers:

• Pearson
• PSI Services (UK) Ltd
• IELTS SELT Consortium
• LanguageCert

How to Find an Approved Test?

To ensure your results are accepted for your visa, your test must:

• Be on top of the list of approved English language tests.
• Have been taken up in an approved test place.
• Have been awarded in the previous two years from the date of your visa application

Therefore, if you are applying for immigration or nationality application, you must take one of the enlisted tests.

You have to be careful while booking your test, to ensure it is among the approved tests. You can refer to the following list for the same:

• Pearson: ‘PTE Academic UKVI’ or ‘PTE Home’
• PSI Services: ‘Skills for English UKVI’
• IELTS SELT Consortium: ‘IELTS for UKVI’ or ‘IELTS Life Skills’
• LanguageCert: ‘LanguageCert International ESOL SELT’
• Trinity College London: ‘Secure English Language Tests for UKVI’ – Integrated Skills in English (ISE) or Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE)

How to Book an English language test?

If you are in the United Kingdom, you need to go to the website of the test provider you are taking the test from, find available test dates, and book according to your availability. Test providers list:

• Trinity College London
• IELTS SELT Consortium
• LanguageCert
• Pearson

If you are outside of the United Kingdom, you need to go to the website of the test provider you are taking the test from, find available test dates, and book according to your availability. Test providers list:

• PSI Services (UK) Ltd
• IELTS SELT Consortium
• LanguageCert
• Pearson

You can take up your exam within 28 days of the booking date. However, the location of the test can vary, as it might not be the nearest location.

What are the Identity Requirements to Prove Your Identity?

Like every other test, you will have to show valid proof of your identity showing that it is you who is going to take the test and not someone else on your behalf. Remember, if you fail to prove your identity at the time of your test, you will not be allowed to give it. Your identity documents should:

• Be valid and up to date.
• Be an original copy.
• Include a current photo of you.
• Match the information provided during the booking of the test
• Have your correct signatures.

What are the Acceptable Documents?

Enlisted are necessary documents used for the identification of the candidate for tests taken in and outside of the United Kingdom:

• Valid passport
• United Kingdom’s Biometric Residence Permit
• United Kingdom’s Biometric Residence Card
• Convention travel document
• Stateless persons travel document

After the test

You will be provided a SELT unique reference number after you pass the exam. You have to include it on your visa application or you might get it refused. You can see your SELT unique reference number on your test result as:

• ‘SELT URN’ for Pearson tests
•  ‘UER’ for Trinity College London tests
•  ‘Candidate URN’ for LanguageCert tests
•  ‘URN’ for PSI Skills for English tests
• ‘UKVI number’ for IELTS SELT Consortium tests

Conclusion

Follow the aforementioned points and you will be able to get through the exam and have your UK visa. To know more about it, please feel free to get in touch with us through our website Connect PTE.