Immigrants must take English language test

Home Secretary Theresa May will unveil the new compulsory exams as part of a crackdown on bogus marriages.

From this autumn, all newcomers from outside the EU hoping to wed a British spouse or live here with a partner will have to demonstrate a basic command of English before they are given a visa.

Mrs May said last night: “I believe being able to speak English should be a prerequisite for anyone who wants to settle here.

“The new English requirement for spouses will help promote integration, remove cultural barriers and protect public services.

“It is a privilege to come to the UK and that is why I am committed to raising the bar for migrants and ensuring that those who benefit from being in Britain contribute to our society.”

The measure is designed to close a loophole exploited by thousands of immigrants every year to sneak into Britain.

And ministers in the Tory-Lib Dem coalition insist it is only the first step in a drive to cut immigration after years of soaring levels under Labour. Mrs May said: “We are currently reviewing English language requirements across the visa system with a view to tightening the rules further in the future.

“Today’s announcement is one of a wide range of measures the new Government is taking to ensure that immigration is properly controlled for the benefit of the UK, alongside a limit on work visas and an effective system for regulating the students who come here.”

The new rules will apply to spouses, civil partnerships, unmarried couples, same-sex partners and fiances, and will be compulsory for people applying from within the UK, as well as from overseas.

The test will be set at the internationally recognised A1 level, covering communication skills needed for tasks such as shopping or travelling by public transport.

The tests are already in operation for anyone getting work permits through the Home Office’s points-based system for skilled migrants. Last night, the move was welcomed by campaigners. Sir Andrew Green, of think tank Migrationwatch, said: “It is welcome that the Government is moving quickly to implement its immigration policies.

“It is essential that immigrant spouses should speak English so they can integrate into our communities. But this language level will have to be raised. This level is the lowest possible. It is not enough but it’s a good start.”

Under the new system, applicants will have to provide evidence to the UK Border Agency with their visa application that they have passed an English language test with an officially-approved test provider.

Officials estimate about 3,500 sham marriages take place every year to cheat border controls. Criminal gangs are understood to charge up to £10,000 a year to arrange the weddings. One Border Agency source said: “We are seeing hundreds of weddings in the UK where the supposedly happy couple can’t speak a word to each other.

“We need a fresh start and the way to do that is to make sure people who want to get married can speak at least some English.” During the election campaign, Tory leader David Cameron vowed to bring immigration down to the level of the 1980s and early 1990s.

He said: “People will judge us on our results. If net immigration is 150,000, sometimes 200,000, a year, we have said it should be tens of thousands – a very significant cut.” Under Labour, English tests for migrants were frequently proposed by ministers but never implemented.

Citizenship tests were introduced but English tests for foreign spouses failed to win backing and were quietly shelved.

All the leading contenders to succeed Gordon Brown now admit Labour was badly damaged by a decade of open-door border controls.