Oct 2013 changes, will I have to retake Life in the UK test?

Hi,

We are a family of 4. We received our ILRs in January 2012 so we are eligible to apply for naturalisation now.

My husband and I both passed Life in the UK test in 2011 before we applied for our ILRs. We have always know that the test result does not expire so you don't have to retake the test once you've passed it.

However someone I know mentioned that with the test being revamped in Oct 2013, anyone who has passed the test but planning to submit their naturalisation applications after Oct 2013 will have to retake the test.

However this has obviously left us a bit confused as its the hassle of re-taking the test. The only reason we've been pushing the naturalisation applications forward is the high costs so I thought we'll probably apply sometime next year.

Can someone please clarify or guide me to a resource where I can find out the answer?

Thanks and regards

If you apply for BC before 28 October 2013, your existing LiUK will meet the requirement and you will not have to provide anything else.

But if you apply after 28 October 2013, you will have to provide both LiUK and one of the English Language tests from this list.

a-s wrote:Hi,

We are a family of 4. We received our ILRs in January 2012 so we are eligible to apply for naturalisation now.

My husband and I both passed Life in the UK test in 2011 before we applied for our ILRs. We have always know that the test result does not expire so you don't have to retake the test once you've passed it.

However someone I know mentioned that with the test being revamped in Oct 2013, anyone who has passed the test but planning to submit their naturalisation applications after Oct 2013 will have to retake the test.

However this has obviously left us a bit confused as its the hassle of re-taking the test. The only reason we've been pushing the naturalisation applications forward is the high costs so I thought we'll probably apply sometime next year.

Can someone please clarify or guide me to a resource where I can find out the answer?

Thanks and regards

If you have a degree taught in English then your Life in the UK tests alone should suffice after October 2013.

D4109125 wrote:

a-s wrote:Hi,

We are a family of 4. We received our ILRs in January 2012 so we are eligible to apply for naturalisation now.

My husband and I both passed Life in the UK test in 2011 before we applied for our ILRs. We have always know that the test result does not expire so you don't have to retake the test once you've passed it.

However someone I know mentioned that with the test being revamped in Oct 2013, anyone who has passed the test but planning to submit their naturalisation applications after Oct 2013 will have to retake the test.

However this has obviously left us a bit confused as its the hassle of re-taking the test. The only reason we've been pushing the naturalisation applications forward is the high costs so I thought we'll probably apply sometime next year.

Can someone please clarify or guide me to a resource where I can find out the answer?

Thanks and regards

If you have a degree taught in English then your Life in the UK tests alone should suffice after October 2013.

Hi,

Many thanks for your reply.

My degree is from back home. At the time we applied for HSMP it was accepted as equivalent to Ordinary British Bachelors by NARIC. I took IELTS General Training as proof of English language skills and scored an overall band 8.5 but that obviously expired long time ago.

So what do you think are our options if we decide to apply after Oct 2013?

Thanks once again.

It is reassuring to know that those who have a degree taught in English and had taken the LIUK test pre-Oct. '13 have no additional hurdles to skip over or extra expenses to incur. The journey is time and financially intensive enough I feel.

I'm assuming a 'degree taught in English' means a degree completed in one of the UKBA defined majority English speaking country list?

kinhell, just seen this today. I can apply for citizenship after 8th october but I am going away on 5th oct and don't come back till 31st oct so it looks like i will have to take LIUK test again.

I have a degree from uk uni so won't have to talk to about with b1 i think

innocentdevil wrote:kinhell, just seen this today. I can apply for citizenship after 8th october but I am going away on 5th oct and don't come back till 31st oct so it looks like i will have to take LIUK test again.

I understood that once someone has a LIUK pass certificate then it is valid for life.

Is this not the case as you mention taking the test "again"?

a-s wrote:Hi,

We are a family of 4. We received our ILRs in January 2012 so we are eligible to apply for naturalisation now.

My husband and I both passed Life in the UK test in 2011 before we applied for our ILRs. We have always know that the test result does not expire so you don't have to retake the test once you've passed it.

However someone I know mentioned that with the test being revamped in Oct 2013, anyone who has passed the test but planning to submit their naturalisation applications after Oct 2013 will have to retake the test.

However this has obviously left us a bit confused as its the hassle of re-taking the test. The only reason we've been pushing the naturalisation applications forward is the high costs so I thought we'll probably apply sometime next year.

Can someone please clarify or guide me to a resource where I can find out the answer?

Thanks and regards

As much as I know B2 English requirements will be mandatory from 28th October 2013. And if someone already passed the test they doesn't have to retake the test unless home office don't put a new requirements regarding new test. in new test chapter 1 is included what refers history of British culture and its innovation and creation. and people from English speaking country doesn't have to go through English test. And if someone already have bachelors degree or equivalent degree from UK recognised university or institution they will get exemption from English requirement. And now I know some people will say if I have a phd from uk university do I have to go for English test and that's a good question as bachelors degree is 3 to 4 years but master degree or pgce is 9 months to 2 years. and life in the uk test is valid forever who already passed the test unless ho put a new rules.

Hope it was no where mentioned that Degree taught in english
should be only in UK recognized university.

Did I miss this point somewhere in the UKBA documentation.

Regards

linkers wrote:If you apply for BC before 28 October 2013, your existing LiUK will meet the requirement and you will not have to provide anything else.

But if you apply after 28 October 2013, you will have to provide both LiUK and one of the English Language tests from this list.

Thank you for your reply. If I decide to apply BC after 28 Oct 2013, would my already passed LiUK (passed in March 2011) score be acceptable, along with a pass in one of the English Language tests in the list you provided?

So it will be; pass in old LiUK test and a pass in approved English language test (i.e. speaking and listening qualification in English at B1 CEFR).

Thanks once again