Who this page is for
- Family-route applicants preparing first submission or extension stages.
- Sponsors checking whether an exemption may apply.
- Applicants booking SELT Life Skills tests in Thailand.
Services / Settlement Requirements
English Language Requirement
For applicants who need the correct A1/A2/B1 pathway, approved test booking, and exemption handling.
Detailed guidance
Required Levels and Milestones
For fiancee, spouse, and partner settlement entry applications, the language requirement is A1 speaking and listening where no exemption applies.
For Further Leave to Remain after the first 2.5-year period, A2 is required under the relevant family-route rules.
Later ILR and citizenship stages generally require B1 level plus the applicable Life in the UK requirement.
What A1 Means in Practice
A1 is a basic speaking/listening standard: understanding familiar everyday expressions, introducing oneself, answering simple personal questions, and communicating when the other speaker talks slowly and clearly.
This is an entry-level practical communication test, not an advanced academic-language assessment.
Approved Tests and Booking Risk
Only exams from approved providers listed by UK Visas and Immigration are accepted.
The test format referenced for these stages is IELTS SELT Life Skills (A1/B1).
Many other English exams exist, so the exact visa-approved test must be selected at booking stage.
Booking the wrong test can cause refusal-risk delay and non-refundable fee loss.
Exemptions and Discretion
The requirement can be waived if the applicant is from a majority English-speaking country or has a bachelor's degree taught in English.
Higher-than-bachelor qualifications can also be accepted where recognized through the required UK qualification verification process.
Applicants aged under 18 or over 65 are exempt from testing.
The requirement may also be waived where a qualifying physical or mental condition applies.
In exceptional compassionate and compelling circumstances, discretionary waiver arguments may also apply.
Thailand Provider Guidance
The listed Thailand providers are British Council and IDP Education in Bangkok.
Provider addresses, contact details, and test fees can change, so applicants should confirm directly with the provider before booking.
A prior advisory note stated that no correspondence would be entered into regarding A1 test administration queries.
Next Step
If this matches your situation, request a consultation and this issue will be preselected in the contact form.