The UK Government has announced landmark immigration reforms requiring migrants to demonstrate a higher standard of English proficiency if they wish to settle permanently.

Under the new Earned Settlement framework, the language requirement will be raised from GCSE to A‑level standard in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. 

The change, introduced through Immigration Rules on March 06, will come into effect in March 2027, with applicants given a year’s notice to prepare.

Officials said the reforms are designed to reward those who contribute, integrate, and uphold British values, marking the first delivery milestone of the government’s broader settlement overhaul.

According to a statement from the UK Government, most foreign nationals applying for settlement must now meet the new A-level equivalent standard, raised from the current GCSE level.    

It takes an estimated 200 hours of learning to move between the two levels, which must be proved by a test with a Home Office-approved provider.    

The move comes as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will introduce new legislation this week to restore order and control to the UK borders. 

“Migration will always be a vital part of Britain’s story, but the public rightly expect those who come here to integrate, contribute and share our British values. Fluency in English is the single easiest path to integration and contribution. It is how you find work, support your family, and play a full part in British life. Work hard, learn the language, and contribute to your community. That is the contract we are now writing into law,” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said, outlining how these reforms are in line with her British values.  

Last November, the government began a public consultation on its Earned Settlement reforms. This will see the standard qualifying period for settlement double to 10 years for most migrants – with reductions for those making a positive contribution to Britain’s economy and society.  

Under the Earned Settlement reforms, skilled frontline public service workers such as doctors and nurses may be able to settle after 5 years – with high earners and entrepreneurs fast-tracked to just 3.   

The government received more than 200,000 responses to the consultation, which closed in February. Those responses are being considered carefully before further reforms are brought forward. (Newswire)

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Prime Minister and Education Minister Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament that the controversial Grade 6 English module has been removed following a recommendation by the academic advisory board of the National Institute of Education (NIE).

“Given the controversy and our assessment also that it is inappropriate, immediately after this came to our knowledge, this particular module was sealed and not delivered to the children. We have obtained approval from the National Institute of Education’s academic advisory board to remove this lesson. This was the recommendation of the ministry which was submitted to the academic advisory board, and this was approved and this lesson will be removed,” she said.

The Prime Minister was responding to a question raised by MP Nizam Kariapper.

Addressing concerns about student privacy, she said there was no violation of child privacy in the module.

Sri Lanka, she noted, follows internationally accepted standards on child protection and data privacy.

The Education Ministry does not generally collect students’ personal data, limiting it to emergency contact information. For specific programs, only essential details, such as parent or guardian names, bank details, NIC numbers, and mobile numbers, are collected, and only from beneficiaries. Any data sharing with third parties requires explicit written consent from parents.

“The activity highlighted in the Grade 6 English module in no way directs students to provide their personal information to any party. The activity concerned is a reading activity where the students are expected to read three simple paragraphs on three hypothetical characters—one boy and two girls who have been presented as from England, Japan and India respectively—and to provide certain specific information mentioned in paragraphs in the given space.”

She added that it is a reading comprehension task and does not require students to share any personal data. (Newswire)

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President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the U.S., the first time in American history such a designation has been made.

“From the founding of our Republic, English has been used as our national language,” the order reads. “It is therefore long past time that English is declared as the official language of the United States.”

Trump’s order marks the first time in history the country has had an official language, though the majority of U.S. states have already designated English as their official language.

People who go through the naturalization process to become U.S. citizens are also required to take an English test in which they “must demonstrate an understanding of the English language, including the ability to read, write, and speak basic English,” according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Trump’s order states that designating English as the country’s official language will further “empower” new citizens and aid them in assimilating.

“Speaking English not only opens doors economically, but it helps newcomers engage in their communities, participate in national traditions, and give back to our society,” the order states.

While English is the most widely used language in the country, U.S. residents communicate in more than 350 languages, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. More than three-quarters of Americans speak only English at home, according to the bureau.

The change is consistent with Trump’s hard-line immigration stance, including his executive order ending birthright citizenship — which several courts have struck down.

During the 2024 presidential campaign, he railed against undocumented immigrants that didn’t speak English and warned about the languages that were “coming into our country.”

Trump’s own vice president has previously pushed for English to be the country’s official language. In the last Congress, then-Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, introduced the English Language Unity Act with Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., which would have required the federal government to use English “in commonsense circumstances.”

“This commonsense legislation recognizes an inherent truth: English is the language of this country. That is why the overwhelming majority of the American people support this proposal,” Vance said in a statement when they unveiled the measure. “The English language has been a cornerstone of American culture for over 250 years. It is far past time for Congress to codify its place into law, which is exactly what this bill does.” (NBC)

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The Cabinet has granted approval to take the necessary measures for the English language to be considered for conducting legal proceedings and maintaining records in certain courts in Sri Lanka.

The government states that particulars in the commerce sphere related to commercial activities are mainly used in the English language and require a considerable cost and time to translate those contents into the Sinhala language. 

Due to that, an extended period to settle commercial disputes takes place which leads to disadvantages when obtaining entrepreneurs, and this situation has also affected the position of Sri Lanka to be in a lower rank in the Ease of Doing Business ratings which envisage the ability to conduct enterprises in a country. 

As a remedy to this, it has been recognized as appropriate to issue an order by the Minister of Justice with the approval of the Cabinet and on par with the provisions of statute 24 (4) of the Constitution, permitting the use of the English language concerning all the activities in recognized courts or legal records and proceedings precisely mentioned thereupon. 

Accordingly, the Cabinet has approved the proposal submitted by the Minister of Justice to take necessary actions in this regard. (NewsWire)

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