The United Kingdom has quietly enacted one of the most consequential immigration rule changes of the post-Brexit era. As of 8 January 2026, first-time applicants under the Skilled Worker, Scale-Up and High-Potential Individual visa routes must prove English at CEFR level B2—roughly A-level standard—rather than the B1 “intermediate” level in place since 2020. The move, confirmed in the Home Office’s October 2025 Statement of Changes, took legal effect last week but is only now being digested by HR teams and recruiters.
At the same time, the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) that sponsors pay for each year of a worker’s visa rose by 32 percent at the end of December, to £1,320 per sponsored worker for medium and large employers. That pushes the up-front cost of issuing a five-year Certificate of Sponsorship for a mid-sized firm above £6,500—before legal fees or the Immigration Health Surcharge are added.
For HR teams scrambling to adjust, VisaHQ’s UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) can streamline the process by listing accredited B2 test providers, flagging appointment availability, and forecasting total Home Office fees—including the newly hiked ISC—so businesses can budget accurately before issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship.
![UK raises English-language bar and Immigration Skills Charge for sponsored workers]()
The government argues the higher language threshold will speed workplace integration and curb exploitation in low-skill roles. Critics counter that it risks shrinking the talent pipeline in sectors already struggling to fill shortages—particularly health care, hospitality and logistics—because the B2 exams are harder, more expensive, and available at fewer global test centres. SMEs, which often sponsor niche roles, warn that the steeper ISC will force difficult hiring trade-offs just as the UK economy tries to accelerate post-inflation growth.
Practical implications are immediate. Employers must update job adverts, switch template offer letters from “B1” to “B2”, and build extra lead-time for candidates to book Secure English Language Tests, which can sell out weeks in advance. Multinationals should review global mobility policies to decide whether to fund English tuition or testing for assignees. Failure to tick the B2 box will lead to automatic refusal of a visa or, worse, a sponsor-licence compliance breach.
Looking ahead, immigration advisers expect the higher English bar to be extended to settlement (ILR) applications from April 2026, in line with the government’s “earned settlement” consultation. Companies that rely heavily on intra-company transfers or graduate hires are therefore urged to map the new language requirement across entire mobility lifecycles now rather than scramble later.
At the same time, the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) that sponsors pay for each year of a worker’s visa rose by 32 percent at the end of December, to £1,320 per sponsored worker for medium and large employers. That pushes the up-front cost of issuing a five-year Certificate of Sponsorship for a mid-sized firm above £6,500—before legal fees or the Immigration Health Surcharge are added.
For HR teams scrambling to adjust, VisaHQ’s UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) can streamline the process by listing accredited B2 test providers, flagging appointment availability, and forecasting total Home Office fees—including the newly hiked ISC—so businesses can budget accurately before issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship.
The government argues the higher language threshold will speed workplace integration and curb exploitation in low-skill roles. Critics counter that it risks shrinking the talent pipeline in sectors already struggling to fill shortages—particularly health care, hospitality and logistics—because the B2 exams are harder, more expensive, and available at fewer global test centres. SMEs, which often sponsor niche roles, warn that the steeper ISC will force difficult hiring trade-offs just as the UK economy tries to accelerate post-inflation growth.
Practical implications are immediate. Employers must update job adverts, switch template offer letters from “B1” to “B2”, and build extra lead-time for candidates to book Secure English Language Tests, which can sell out weeks in advance. Multinationals should review global mobility policies to decide whether to fund English tuition or testing for assignees. Failure to tick the B2 box will lead to automatic refusal of a visa or, worse, a sponsor-licence compliance breach.
Looking ahead, immigration advisers expect the higher English bar to be extended to settlement (ILR) applications from April 2026, in line with the government’s “earned settlement” consultation. Companies that rely heavily on intra-company transfers or graduate hires are therefore urged to map the new language requirement across entire mobility lifecycles now rather than scramble later.
