22 Oct 2025
By David Winnie, Partner, Head of Sport and Immigration, Gilson Gray LLP
The Government’s Immigration White Paper, published in May 2025, outlined a series of major reforms to the UK’s economic migration framework, signalling a continued tightening of eligibility criteria for overseas workers. This change will come into force on 8 January 2026. Migrants will be required to pass new English language requirements under a law introduced in Parliament on 14 October 2025, as the government continues to replace Britain’s immigration system.
Among the most significant changes is a substantial increase in the English language requirement for those applying under economic migration routes.
From 8 January 2026, individuals making their first visa application under these routes will need to demonstrate English language proficiency at Level B2, equivalent to A level standard. This marks a considerable increase from the current B1 requirement, which aligns more closely with GCSE level.
Implications: Employers & Migrant workers
This higher threshold will likely have notable implications for both employers and prospective migrants. For employers, particularly those in sectors heavily reliant on overseas recruitment – such as healthcare, hospitality, and construction – the change may narrow the pool of eligible candidates.
Businesses will need to ensure that prospective employees can meet this enhanced standard before offering sponsorship, potentially increasing recruitment timelines and associated costs.
For migrants, the move to a B2 requirement represents a higher linguistic and educational barrier to entry, demanding stronger communication and comprehension skills. While the Government argues that this reform will improve integration and productivity in the workplace, critics caution that it may disproportionately impact applicants from non-English-speaking countries and exacerbate existing labour shortages in key industries.
Forward Planning Required for Business
In practical terms, both employers and visa applicants should begin planning ahead for these changes – reviewing recruitment strategies, updating eligibility assessments, and ensuring access to appropriate English language testing and training resources well before the 2026 implementation date.
More broadly, this policy shift reflects the Government’s ongoing efforts to shape a more selective, “high-skill” migration system, one that places greater emphasis on linguistic proficiency and academic attainment as measures of economic contribution. While this aligns with the broader post-Brexit immigration strategy, it underscores the persistent challenge of balancing higher entry standards with the labour needs of the UK economy.
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