Naturalisation question - English requirement

Hi everyone,

I have been trying to find answer to English language requirements and have got very mixed views. I had ILR last year in May 2014 on the basis of Tier 1 visa. I have got a B. Tech degree from India from a university listed on PBS and have previously received points for my degree for earlier applications (Tier 1/ILR).

UKBA website states that:
Degrees taught or researched in English

You’ll need to prove your degree was both:
taught or researched in English
confirmed by UK NARIC as the equivalent of a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree in the UK

You’ll need your original degree certificate and one of the following:
a printout from the points-based calculator with the equivalent level of your degree and the level of English
an original letter or certificate from UK NARIC confirming the equivalent level of your degree, plus an official letter from your university with your name and degree confirming that your degree was taught in English
an original and official certificate from your university confirming the degree was taught or researched in a majority English-speaking country (except Canada)

Based on the above, my degree and PBS print out should suffice but most of the people suggest NARIIC validation or ESOL test.

Can anyone confirm if they successfully got naturalisation based on just overseas degree and PBS print out?

Many thanks

If you had applied for ILR after 28th of Oct 2013, you have already met the requirement.
If you had applied before 28th, You should be ok to send the printout along with the degree as I have seen HO accepting that. Your degree not only has to be on PBS calculator, I think HO only accepts it if you are awarded 20(I think) or more points. Read KoLL guide which tells you exactly how many points you have to score.

Thanks

I got my ILR in May 2013. And I am getting 20 points for my degree on PBS. Should that be sufficient?

DesiBoys wrote:Thanks

I got my ILR in May 2013. And I am getting 20 points for my degree on PBS. Should that be sufficient?

Yeah that should be sufficient.

And 10 points for English of course.

I can confirm a PBS printout is sufficient.

Thanks guys for your replies. Can you also suggest which option I need to select on the AN form question 1.22 asking how do I satisfy language requirement:


1.22 How do you intend to satisfy the requirement to have sufficient knowledge of language and life in the UK? See page
11–17 in the accompanying Booklet AN
✔ I have passed the Life in the UK test and attach confirmation.
The test number is:
AND EITHER
✔ I have a speaking and listening qualification in English at B1 CEFR or higher, or an equivalent
level qualification; OR
✔ I have obtained an academic qualification deemed by UK NARIC to meet the recognised
standard of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or PhD in the United Kingdom and:
(i) UK NARIC has confirmed that the qualification was taught or researched in English; or
(ii) the qualification was taught or researched in the UK or a majority English speaking country
(other than Canada); OR
✔ I am a national of a majority English speaking country; OR
✔ I met the knowledge of language and life requirement to qualify for settlement on or after 28th October 2013;
OR
✔ I wish to claim exemption on the basis of my physical or mental condition (physical and/or mental illness
may not lead automatically to exemption. You should provide reasons on page 15. Your application may fail
and the fee retained if insufficient reasons for exemption are provided).

The second option seems to suggest I need NARIC certification?

akhurshid wrote:If you had applied for ILR after 28th of Oct 2013, you have already met the requirement.
If you had applied before 28th, You should be ok to send the printout along with the degree as I have seen HO accepting that. Your degree not only has to be on PBS calculator, I think HO only accepts it if you are awarded 20(I think) or more points. Read KoLL guide which tells you exactly how many points you have to score.

Hi akhurshid, or anyone in the know for that matter,
The naturalisation application states as one of the options: "I met the knowledge of language and life requirement to qualify for settlement on or after 28th October 2013"

Now that seems a bit ambiguous to someone like me who has done the Life in the UK test just before that date (10 October 2013), but my ILR application was submitted and approved on 19 November 2013 (so just after).

On first glance and as per akhurshid's assessment above, one would assume it refers to a naturalisation application successfully approved onwards from 28 October 2013. But if you consider that the changes to the Knowledge of language and life in the UK (Koll) came into affect on that date, one can also interpret it as meeting the new test's requirement, by writing the test on or after then, as opposed to the whole application.

As per the initial scenario above, I can find my degree on the PBS calculator (with 30 points), but the PBS calculator does not give me 10 points for English language. As per Koll, you can only use the PBS calculator printout if it also awards you 10 points for English. See link further down for confirmation of that.

My initial Tier 1 was granted based on my degree and I got a letter stating that the degree was presented in English. When I renewed my Tier 1, I relied on having proven it previously. With my ILR, I only needed LitUK and selected the option "degree taught or researched in English". So every time, I've relied on that degree and university letter above.

In my opinion the deciding factor is the date of the application itself, but the Koll Appendix then states that I still need a NARIC certificate if I did not obtain 10 points for English via the PBS calculator. See page 32 on the Koll Appendix here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... _0_EXT.pdf

These requirements are taking me around in circles and it's sufficiently confusion for my case, especially as I feel I've proven my English proficiency on earlier occasions.

Will be grateful for your comments.

Regards.