Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing flexibility on when and where overseas students can (a) apply for their visa to study in the UK and (b) take their English language tests.

From October students will be able to apply for a visa up to six months in advance of the course start date listed on their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies. This is an extension on the current period of three months.

Students who require a Secure English Language Test (SELT) must obtain a SELT from an approved provider. A SELT test can be obtained from any of the test centres listed in the below list of approved test centres:-https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-applying-for-uk-visa-approved-english-language-tests

Higher Education Providers (HEP) with a track record of compliance are able to self-assess the English ability of their students at degree level or above. As part of the Covid-19 concessions, we extended this to also permit HEPs to self-assess the English ability of students on pre-sessional courses.