UK visas won't be easy, you'll have to take a tough English test:

News Topical, Digital Desk : UK visas will no longer be easy to obtain. Visa applicants will have to take a new, more difficult English language test. The UK government introduced a proposal in Parliament on Tuesday. The results of the new 'Secure English Language Test' will be verified as part of the upcoming visa application process for all skilled workers from January 8, 2026.

This means visas will be granted based on the results of an English test. Applicants must have a speaking, listening, reading, and writing level at A-levels or equivalent to Grade 12. "It is unacceptable for migrants to come here without learning our language," said British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

You will have to learn the language

If you come to this country, you will have to learn our language. Other changes will also be made to the law. The time for international students to find a graduate-level job after completing their studies under the Graduate Route visa, popular among Indian students, will be reduced from the current two years to 18 months from January 1, 2027.

However, PhD-level graduates will be allowed three years under an announcement made earlier this year. Foreign students applying for student visas for the 2025-2026 academic year will need to demonstrate they have sufficient funds to support themselves. The maintenance fund requirement will be increased from the current 1,483 pounds per month to 1,529 pounds for London.

How much was the fee increased?

For the rest of the UK, it will increase from £1,136 to £1,171 per month. The Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) will be increased by 32 per cent. The ISC is a tax paid by British employers of skilled foreign workers. This means that small or charitable organisations will pay £480 per person per year (previously £364) and medium and large organisations will pay £1,320 (previously £1,000). The parliamentary process for increasing the fee will begin later this week.