UK reappoints IELTS as language test for visas

In December 2019, UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) made an announcement that IELTS will continue to be accepted for all those UK visas that have a stipulation for applicants to demonstrate their proficiency in the English language.

Consequent to a tender process, IELTS came to be reappointed as official test provider for visas that come under UK Immigration applications.

Welcoming the announcement by UKVI, Christine Nuttall, the Managing Director IELTS at Cambridge Assessment English, said that they were delighted that IELTS continues providing a gateway for people for successfully fulfilling their aspirations in the UK.

This reappointment of IELTS by UKVI highlights the crucial role that IELTS plays where it comes to language testing for immigration purposes.

Which countries accept IELTS for migration?

IELTS is the only standardized test for migration purposes that is accepted by the governments of –

• UK
• Canada
• Australia
• New Zealand

While other tests are also considered, IELTS is the most common test for migration purposes to the 4 above-mentioned countries.

Which test should I give – General Training or Academic?

IELTS Academic	For people appearing for – • Professional registration • Higher education
IELTS General Training	For people migrating to – • New Zealand • Australia • Canada • UK

What are the 9 IELTS bands?

Band	Skill of the User
9	Expert
8	Very good
7	Good
6	Competent
5	Modest
4	Limited
3	Extremely limited
2	Intermittent
1	Non-user
0	Did not attempt the test

IELTS scores are given on a scale of 1 to 9.

Bands are awarded individually to each of the 4 sections – Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.

An overall band score, the average of the 4 individual scores in each of the test sections – is also given.

What is the IELTS requirement for different UK visas?

Given below are the general requirements for some of the commonly applied for UK visas.

If you are applying for a Tier 4 Student Visa for UK, always confirm the IELTS requirement directly with the educational institution concerned.

Visa Description	IELTS for UKVI required
Tier 1 (General) visa	7.0 overall, and in each of four skills
Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa	4.0 overall, and in each of four skills
Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa	4.0 overall, and in each of four skills
Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa	4.0 overall, and in each of four skills
Tier 2 (General) visa – in most cases	4.0 overall, and in each of four skills
Tier 4 (General) student visa.  [Below degree level & pre-sessional courses]	4.0 overall, and in each of four skills
Tier 4 (General) student visa. [Degree level & above]	5.5 overall, and in each of four skills

To ensure that all test makers are treated at par with each other and cultural bias avoided, all standard varieties of English are accepted by IELTS.

IETS is available at 1,600+ locations across the world.

Need IELTS coaching? With Y-Axis Coaching, you can attend IELTS Coaching class anywhere, anytime.

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