Tier 4 (General) Student visa
If you need a Tier 4 (General) student visa, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) will require evidence of your English language level unless you are a national of a majority English-speaking country (MESC). You must take IELTS for UKVI (Academic).
Short-term Study Visa
If you require a Short-term Study visa, you may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances, such as evidence of your English language qualifications.
Information about English language requirements for immigration
IELTS for UKVI (Academic)
The IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test can be taken worldwide. To make sure your IELTS test report form is the IELTS for UKVI version you need to:
- book the test in an approved IELTS SELT Consortium test centre.
- confirm at the time of registration that you wish to use your test result for a UK visa application. You must sit the test in an 'IELTS for UKVI' test session, as UKVI will not accept results from all IELTS tests offered at these locations, even if the test is taken at an approved centre.
The content of the test is the same as other IELTS tests but the test report form is different (see image below) and approved by UKVI for visa applications.
When you have received your test score you should submit your IELTS SELT reference numbers and the certificate via the online portal, as it is a requirement that the BISC view your certificate in order to make sure you meet the requirements for your visa.
