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Guidance

Knowledge of language and life in the UK: caseworker guidance

Immigration staff guidance on the knowledge of language and life in the UK requirement.

Updates to this page

From:
UK Visas and Immigration
Published:
28 October 2013
Last updated:
19 December 2025
Show all updates

  1. New ‘Certificates’ section added to include Postgraduate Certificates (PGCert). Clarification added to ‘Evidence of physical or mental condition’ section about exemption requirements.

  2. Updated links to the Ecctis website in the ‘evidence from NARIC’ and ‘diplomas’ sections.

  3. Additional paragraph on page 8 informing caseworkers that applicants should provide medical information alongside their completed medical exemption forms.

  4. The information has been updated to reflect that British overseas territories citizens will be accepted as majority English speakers for the purposes of meeting the English language part of the Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK requirement. This is to bring guidance in line with the Autumn 2022 changes to the Immigration Rules, where the British overseas territories have been added to the Majority English Speaking Country (MESC) list.

  5. As a result of the UK leaving the EU, Ecctis (the organisation that has provided the UK NARIC service) can no longer refer to UK NARIC, as this is an EU initiative. All references to UK NARIC have been amended to Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC) accordingly.

  6. Changes to reflect the latest update to the Immigration Rules and the addition of Malta to the list of majority English-speaking countries.

  7. Updated the guidance document.

  8. Updated 'Knowledge of language and life in the UK'.

  9. Changes to reflect the changes to the Immigration Rules and Nationality Regulations on 17 December 2019.

  10. Guidance updated.

  11. Replaced the document with a new version.

  12. Updated document.

  13. Updated guidance.

  14. Updated guidance.

  15. Updated guidance.

  16. Updated guidance.

  17. Updated guidance.

  18. First published.

Documents

Knowledge of language and life in the UK caseworker guidance (accessible)

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Knowledge of language and life in the UK caseworker guidance

PDF, 341 KB, 31 pages

Details

UK Visas and Immigration guidance on how staff make decisions about applications for naturalisation and indefinite leave to remain that need to meet the knowledge of language and life in the UK requirement.

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