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IELTS Press Release
As of today, IELTS (the International English Language Testing System) can be used by skilled workers – such as teachers and engineers – coming to work in the UK as proof of English language ability.
Following changes in immigration laws, the UK Border Agency – responsible for securing borders and controlling migration in the UK – has introduced a five tier points-based system (PBS) for migrant workers, to enable the UK to control migration more effectively, tackle abuse and identify the most talented workers. Tier 2 of the PBS – which comes in to effect on 27 November 2008 – enables UK employers to recruit skilled workers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) for particular jobs that cannot be filled by a British or EEA national. Skilled migrant workers who fall into Tier 2 of the PBS will in most cases have to provide evidence that they have an appropriate command of the English language and IELTS is one of the approved English language tests.
Carl Rhymer, Head IELTS at The British Council welcomed this news:
“We are very pleased that the Border Agency has recognised IELTS for immigration purposes. It is the leading English language test in the world and is taken by over a million people every year. The expert development and research that goes into the test means it is an accurate way of measuring a person’s ability to communicate in international English.”
IELTS is the leading and most widely accepted international English language test in the world for higher education and migration taken by over a million people a year and accepted by over 6,000 organisations worldwide. It is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia. IELTS will be used by the UK border agency to test the English language ability of people classified as ‘Tier 1’ highly skilled migrants, such as lawyers and investors, along with skilled migrants classified as ‘Tier 2’, such as teachers and engineers. IELTS is also used for immigration purposes by the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand and is approved by the US Department of Health and Human Services and US Department of Education for the CGFNS/ICHP VisaScreen® Program for foreign nurses and other healthcare professionals. It is the principle English language test used by medical regulatory bodies in the UK including the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the General Medical Council.
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