SIA licence holders living in the UK for 2 years or less
Published 3 October 2025
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Request
An SIA licence used to mean a little a few years ago. In 2025 you appear to be able to get one with less than 50 words of English to your name and little understanding of both English laws and culture.
I would like to know how many people get the licence after living in the UK for 2 years or less? I am making a documentary and I prefer to deal in facts, rather than hearsay.
Response
The SIA holds the information that you have requested.
A prerequisite to obtaining a qualification to apply for an SIA licence is that all learners should, as a minimum, have English language skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening equivalent to the following:
- a B2 Level qualification on the Home Office’s list of recognised English tests and qualifications
- a B2 Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
- an ESOL qualification at (Level 1) on the Ofqual register taken in England, Wales or Northern Ireland
- an ESOL qualification at Scottish Credit and qualifications Framework Level 5 awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and taken in Scotland
- Functional Skills Level 1 in English
- SQA Core Skills in Communication at Scottish Credit and qualifications Framework Level 5
- Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1
Read more about the training needed to get an SIA licence.
In 2024, 44,824 individuals obtained an SIA licence within 2 years of arriving in the UK.
Between January and June 2025, 18,702 individuals obtained a licence within 2 years of arrival.
These figures:
- do not account for whether it was an individual’s first time entering the UK
- include those who have returned to the UK after time abroad and obtained an SIA licence within 2 years of their return to the UK
[Ref: FOI 0570]