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English Test for ILR and Citizenship

Discussion in 'UK Visa and Immigration Help' started by Anne, Oct 3, 2018.

  1. Anne
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    Anne Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Hello BF community!
    I just received a phone call from a friend who just applied for FLR and has been denied because of her English test despite being previously accepted in the entry clearance visa. I am not sure of the whole visa decline story but I was led to believe this was the case.

    I am due my ILR in early 2020 and know someone who will be applying for citizenship so just wanted to raise this question in 1 thread.

    Do we really need to take the English test again? We both passed the test with equivalent English score of B2 and higher.

    I am looking for similar posts but the one that I found is outdated.

    Can you please help us?

    Thank you.
  2. bigmac
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    bigmac Well-Known Member Trusted Member


    if your friends english test was taken outside the UK it is only valid for 2 years.
  3. menchu_edge
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    menchu_edge Active Member

    Did she use the same cert for Spouse visa and FLR?
  4. Anne
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    Anne Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Mine was already past 2 years when I submitted my 2nd FLR and they still accepted it.
  5. Anne
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    Anne Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    I believe so. I am still yet to hear from her.
  6. menchu_edge
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    menchu_edge Active Member

    I think when they have considered IELTS cert twice already, then the applicant has to renew. You were able to use your old IELTS because it's in the guidelines.
  7. Anne
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    Anne Well-Known Member Trusted Member

  8. menchu_edge
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    menchu_edge Active Member

    I've read it somewhere. Couldn't find that article/blog anymore. They permit you to use the same certificate if you have used it during your previous application. That's why when you get B1/B2 here, you can still use it for ILR/Citizenship. But it should have an expiry of 2years when taken outside the UK. So if you got your B1/B2 from Phil, you can only use it for Spouse visa and FLRM. That was the explanation in that article.
  9. Anne
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    Anne Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Any idea what site you've seen it?
  10. Mattecube
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    Mattecube face the sunshine so shadows fall behind you Trusted Member

    • Informative Informative x 1
  11. menchu_edge
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    menchu_edge Active Member

    I checked my lappy but couldn't find it. I think I had it on my old phone (broken :().

    I checked the link given by Mattecube. It says there, 'You can still use a B1 level qualification that you took more than 2 years ago in 2 situations.' So it's the same with the article I've read. If you took B1 and used it for Spouse visa, you can use it again for FLRM. But on the 3rd situation (ILR), you can't use it anymore. If that's the case of your friend, then the case worker is right.
  12. Anne
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    Anne Well-Known Member Trusted Member

  13. Anne
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    Anne Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    I disagree. The 2 situations as understood in the UKVI website are
    1.) For Citizenship
    2.) Applying to Settle / ILR

    Ergo, could still be used for these applications.

    As for my friend who applied for FLR(m), I couldn't get a hold of her yet. I don't know if her scores are above A2/B1 though.
  14. menchu_edge
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    menchu_edge Active Member

    Try to check with her then.
  15. one world
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    one world Active Member Trusted Member

  16. Lin Lin
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    Lin Lin Member

    Hi Anne,
    Did you hear anything from your friend about the reason of the rejection of her application? I am due to apply ILR early next year as well and worried about my IELTS. I have equivalent score of B2 and used it for my 2nd FLR 2 years ago and it was accepted. My concern is the centre stamp in my IELTS Cert was idp Philippines (not in the list) but the centre number of PH009 is under idp Manila (in the list). I talked to an immigration adviser but he wasn't sure what's the difference. So I'm still confused if it is or it isn't accepted :confused:
  17. one world
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    one world Active Member Trusted Member

    As long as the provider and test centre number are listed AND test cert was previously used for past successful visa application, then should be o.k.

    Out of interest, the UK list has 3 entries for British Council test with same test centre number, but different addresses.
    So can only conclude that the provider and test centre number is what's important.

    upload_2019-9-29_15-6-4.png

    upload_2019-9-29_15-4-3.png

    Attached Files:

  18. Anne
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    Anne Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    It was not the English test, it was something else. It does not matter if it's IDP or British Council, by the way.
  19. Macchiato
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    Macchiato Member

    My wife had passed the necessary English test in the UK with IELTS. The Test center in Oxfordshire - Kings Oxford.
    This was accepted in our first FLM(m) application happily by UKBA at the time.

    The second FLM(m) application however, no.

    To our shock and dismay. We had found out 6 weeks before the date of application that the test center she previously passed on was no longer valid.

    Reason being, it was no longer on the approved list of UVKI Language test, because it was not a "secure" test center.
    So we booked a test in London with IELTS - this was suffice for our second FLM(m) application.

    TLDR: Could it of been that it was passed on a Test Center that is now no longer suitable?
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2019
  20. oss
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    oss Somewhere Staff Member

    There's been a lot of controversy over test centre corruption in recent years the implication being that undeserving people in business are creaming money from the state and from the applicants that apply for this qualification through these test centres.

    Who knows, I don't, however all of these organisations should exist inside some kind of regulatory environment if they don't then whose fault is that, is it their fault for taking advantage of circumstance or our government institutions for failing to put in place reasonable regulatory systems, again who knows.

    The victims are the innocent people who hand over money in good faith in order to get a qualification which our country requires and then later discover like you and your wife that someone has ripped them off.
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2019
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