Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has plans to change the English language requirement for spouse visa applications; and if she will make statement.

Being able to speak English is fundamental to successful integration into British society, helping migrants to participate in community life and find work.

The Supreme Court has upheld the lawfulness of the English language requirement for spouse visas. It agreed that the requirement strikes a fair balance between the interests of those wishing to sponsor a spouse to settle here and of the community in general.