You need English at CEFR B2 level. Most HPI applicants satisfy this through the Ecctis certificate (degree taught in English) — no separate test needed. Nationals of 17 countries are automatically exempt.
The English language requirement
The HPI visa requires English at CEFR B2 level or above. B2 is "upper intermediate" — you can understand complex topics, interact fluently with native speakers, and produce detailed text on a wide range of subjects. For most university-educated applicants this is a very comfortable standard.
There are four ways to satisfy it. You only need one.
Route 1 — Exempt nationality
If you are a national of any of the following countries, you are automatically exempt from the English language requirement:
- Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America
Route 2 — Degree taught in English (most common)
If your qualifying degree was delivered entirely in English, you satisfy the language requirement through your Ecctis qualification certificate. Ecctis confirms both your degree level and the medium of instruction as part of the standard certificate — you don't need to do anything extra.
This is the route the vast majority of HPI applicants use. If your degree was taught in English (even at a non-English-speaking university, e.g. a programme delivered in English at a German or Dutch university), this route applies.
Route 3 — Secure English Language Test (SELT)
If your degree was not taught in English and you're not from an exempt nationality, you'll need to pass an approved SELT at B2 or above. Accepted providers:
- IELTS for UKVI (Academic or General Training) — B2 = band 5.5 overall
- Trinity College London SELT
- LanguageCert International ESOL SELT
- Pearson PTE Academic UKVI
- PSI Services — Skills for English UKVI
Route 4 — UK GCSE or A-level in English
If you studied at a school in England, Scotland, or Wales before age 18 and received a GCSE or A-level in English language (not English literature), this satisfies the requirement.