Does my partner or child need B2 English for ILR?
Most adult partners who apply for ILR on or after 26 March 2027 will need B2 in speaking and listening, whether they are on a family (spouse or partner) visa or are the partner of a Skilled Worker. Children who are under 18 on the date they apply do not need an English test for ILR.
Does a partner on a family visa need B2?
The partner ILR rules in Appendix FM (E-ILRP.1.6) send you to Appendix KoLL for the English requirement, and Appendix KoLL moves to B2 for applications on or after 26 March 2027. The parent route works the same way (E-ILRPT.1.5). We are confident about this, but note that the change reaches family partners through Appendix KoLL rather than being named on its own in the Home Office's explanation of the change.
Do partners of Skilled Workers and Health and Care Workers need B2?
Partners applying for settlement as Skilled Worker dependants (Appendix Skilled Worker, SW 44.1) move to B2 for applications on or after 26 March 2027. The main applicant has a new requirement too: see I proved my English for my visa. Do I need it again?.
Do children need an English test for ILR?
Under the Rules, someone who is under 18 on the date of application does not need to meet the English requirement. The age that counts is the age on the day the application is made, so a son or daughter who has turned 18 by then is treated as an adult for this rule. If that is your situation, check GOV.UK for the route your child is applying on.
Which partners stay at B1?
Partners and children of members of HM Armed Forces stay at B1 (Appendix HM Armed Forces, AF 29.1), and so does the British National (Overseas) route.
Which partners may not need a test?
The same exemptions apply to partners as to anyone else: aged 65 or over, a long-term condition (case by case, with a doctor's form), nationality of a majority-English-speaking country on the GOV.UK list, or a degree taught or researched in English (see Does my degree count?). Victims of domestic abuse have no settlement English test. For bereaved partners, GOV.UK's guide still lists them as not needing to prove English, while HC 1691 moves the route to B1/B2, so we cannot say which applies: check with GOV.UK or a regulated adviser.
Last checked against GOV.UK: 21 October 2026.
Sources
- Immigration Rules: Appendix FM (family members), GOV.UK (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- Immigration Rules: Appendix KoLL (updated 8 October 2026), GOV.UK (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled Worker (SW 22A.1, SW 44.1), GOV.UK (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- Immigration Rules: Appendix HM Armed Forces, GOV.UK (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- Immigration Rules: Appendix Hong Kong British National (Overseas), GOV.UK (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- Immigration Rules: Appendix English Language, GOV.UK (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- Prove your knowledge of English: exemptions, GOV.UK (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- HC 1691 Explanatory Memorandum (paragraphs 5.60 to 5.62), GOV.UK (checked 20 Oct 2026)
This is general information, not immigration advice. Check GOV.UK for your own route, or speak to a regulated immigration adviser (registered with the IAA, formerly OISC). Find a regulated adviser on GOV.UK.