To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to review the UK Visas and Immigration guidelines on English language testing for English-speaking Commonwealth countries.

There are a number of ways individuals seeking to come to the UK for work study, or to join family can prove their level of English. National of the following countries do not need to prove their level of English:

• Antigua and Barbuda

• Australia

• the Bahamas

• Barbados

• Belize

• Canada

• Dominica

• Grenada

• Guyana

• Jamaica

• New Zealand

• St Kitts and Nevis

• St Lucia

• St Vincent and the Grenadines

• Trinidad and Tobago

• USA

Alternatively, individuals who have obtained a degree which is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s or master’s degree or a PhD which was taught or researched in English to a required level would also be considered to have proved their level of English.

Under the family Immigration Rules, a person is exempt from proving their level of English if the applicant is over the age of 65 at the time of making the application or the person has a disability – a physical or mental condition – or there are exceptional circumstances which prevent them from meeting the requirement.

The Government keeps all of its guidelines under regular review.