Designated Persons-

[Rinrada]

For all who await with bated breath

Finally got a reply from David B sunshine boys at the Home Office.

It was also highlighted one day last week for beady eyed observers in the wednesday edition of the "Times"

New Language requirement - further information

The Secretary of State designates the following persons as competent to determine that an applicant has sufficient knowledge of English for the purposes of naturalisation, when that applicant has produced an educational qualification other than an ESOL Entry 3 Certificate as described in the DfES "Adult ESOL core curriculum". This designation is pursuant to Regulation 3 of the British Nationality (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004 No 1726). The Adult ESOL core curriculum can be obtained from DfES Publications, Prolog, PO Box 5050, Annersley, Nottingham NG15 0DJ (ISBN 1-84185-640-1).

A teacher will be a designated person if he or she meets the following criteria:

 Qualified Graduate Teachers at a UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man school, college or University;

 Language Teachers with one of the following qualifications:

o Cambridge ESOL Certificate of Further Education Teaching Stage 3 for ESOL Subject Specialists (CertESOL)

o Level 4 Certificate in Further Education Teaching at Stage 3 AND a Certificate for ESOL Subject Specialists

o Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA). NB This qualification was formerly sometimes known as Certificate of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (CTEFLA)

o RSA Certificate (pre-1988). Both components must have been taken and a Pass, Pass "B" or Pass "A" obtained

o Certificate in English Language Teaching to Young Learners (CELTYL). All 3 components must have been taken and a Pass, Pass "B" or Pass "A" awarded.

o In-Service Certificate in English Language Teaching (ICELT). Modules 1 and 2 must both have been completed and a Pass, Merit or Distinction awarded.

o Diploma in English Teaching to Adults (DELTA). All 3 components must have been taken and a Pass or Distinction grade awarded.

Language teachers should be currently teaching at a PRIVATE language school that is a member of the English UK, British Council, ARELS or BASELT accreditation schemes. Public sector ESOL teachers at Adult, Further Education or Community Colleges are NOT "designated persons".

British consular officers

An applicant who is outside the United Kingdom and Islands and outside the British overseas territories should present any evidence of a qualification that he or she believes to be equivalent to or indicate a higher standard of English than ESOL entry 3 to a British consular officer for the necessary consideration and certification.

In the British overseas territories

Officials having responsibility for nationality applications.

Designated persons should themselves be native or fluent English speakers. Further guidance for designated persons is attached.

If you have any enquiries about this information please contact the Nationality Group on tel. no. 0151 237 5200 or write to Home Office Nationality Group, PO Box 285, Reliance House, Water Street, Liverpool, L69 2UF.

NOTE FOR PERSONS INVITED TO CERTIFY THAT AN APPLICANT FOR NATURALISATION AS A BRITISH CITIZEN HAS SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

Background

All applicants for naturalisation as a British citizen under s.6 of the British Nationality Act 1981, whether or not married to a British citizen, are now required to have “sufficient knowledge” either of English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic. The 1981 Act itself does not define "sufficient knowledge", but Regulations made under the Act, as amended, now do so where the language relied upon by the applicant is English.

Under the British Nationality (General) Regulations 2003, as amended, a person will have a sufficient knowledge of the English language if he or she can provide

Either

 An ESOL (“English for Speakers of Other Languages”) Entry 3 qualification approved by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

Or

 A certificate from a person designated under the regulations to assess knowledge of English in cases where the person intending to apply for naturalisation does not have an ESOL entry 3 certificate but does have another qualification suggesting an equivalent or higher standard of English

Designated Persons

Teachers

A teacher will be a “designated person” if he or she meets the following criteria:

 Qualified Graduate Teachers at a UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man school, college or University;

 Language Teachers with one of the following qualifications:

o Cambridge ESOL Certificate of Further Education Teaching Stage 3 for ESOL Subject Specialists (CertESOL)

o Level 4 Certificate in Further Education Teaching at Stage 3 AND a Certificate for ESOL Subject Specialists

o Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA). NB This qualification was formerly sometimes known as Certificate of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (CTEFLA)

o RSA Certificate (pre-1988). Both components must have been taken and a Pass, Pass “B” or Pass “A” obtained

o Certificate in English Language Teaching to Young Learners (CELTYL). All 3 components must have been taken and a Pass, Pass “B” or Pass “A” awarded.

o In-Service Certificate in English Language Teaching (ICELT). Modules 1 and 2 must both have been completed and a Pass, Merit or Distinction awarded.

o Diploma in English Teaching to Adults (DELTA). All 3 components must have been taken and a Pass or Distinction grade awarded.

Language teachers should be currently teaching at a PRIVATE language school that is a member of the English UK, British Council, ARELS or BASELT accreditation schemes. Public sector ESOL teachers at Adult, Further Education or Community Colleges are NOT “designated persons”.

British consular officers

An applicant who is outside the United Kingdom and Islands should present any evidence of a qualification that he or she believes to be equivalent to or indicate a higher standard of English than ESOL entry 3 to a British consular officer for the necessary consideration and certification.

Level of competence

As mentioned above, the Regulations enable an applicant do demonstrate a sufficient knowledge of English by providing a certificate that confirms the attainment of a level of English proficiency equating to ESOL Entry 3. This is the minimum level of competence acceptable for the purposes of naturalisation. Applicants can demonstrate this by production of an ESOL certificate from a recognised awarding body.

Applicants with language qualifications other than ESOL Entry 3 are likely to seek advice from teachers at private language colleges about whether or not this meets the criteria for naturalisation. An alternative qualification that has been mapped against the following levels (or higher) can be accepted without difficulty, and a certificate of equivalence issued (see below for format of this).

 QCA National Qualifications Framework Upper Entry Level

 Council of Europe Framework of Reference for Languages at B1 Threshold Level

 National Language Standards at Level 2

 International English Language Testing System (IELTS) at Band 4

Further information about the alignment of language proficiency scales can be found in the DfES publication "Pathways to Proficiency" (ISBN 1 84185 8471) which is available from DfES Publications, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottingham, NG15 0DJ.

Applicants may, however, produce a variety of alternative qualifications, including those obtained abroad, which have not been mapped against the National Qualifications Framework. It may be that teachers already know the level at which a particular language qualification is pitched, but it is also possible that applicants will seek to rely on non-language qualifications that have been taken in English.

Language teachers will be aware that at ESOL Entry 3 or equivalent, an applicant should be able to do the following:

 Listen and respond to spoken language, including straightforward information and narratives, and follow straightforward explanations and instructions, both face-to-face and on the telephone.

 Communicate orally information, feelings and opinions on familiar topics, using appropriate formality, both face-to-face and on the telephone.

 Engage in discussion with one or more people in a familiar situation, making relevant points and responding to what others say to reach a shared understanding about familiar topics.

 Read and understand short, straightforward texts on familiar topics accurately and independently.

 Read and obtain information from everyday sources.

 Communicate in writing information and opinions with some adaptation to the intended audience.

 Understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure etc.

 Deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling in an area where English is spoken.

 Produce simple connected texts on topics which are familiar or of personal interest.

 Describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

 Show competence in a limited range of tasks, performed in familiar work and social contexts.

 Have a repertoire equal to most routine language tasks and have sufficient grasp of grammar to cope with some non-routine tasks.

This list of descriptors of language has been drawn from a variety of sources. It is not exhaustive but is simply intended to give guidance to designated persons about what to expect of someone at or above the required standard. It follows, therefore, that an applicant does not need to achieve everything on the above list. But if an alternative qualification produced by an applicant required him or her to do all or some of the above, then it will be acceptable for naturalisation purposes.

Documents required from the applicant

The applicant should enclose with his or her application either an ESOL certificate at Entry 3 level or higher or the certificate printed at Part C below, suitably completed by a person designated for this purpose under the British Nationality (General) Regulations 2003 as amended. (The applicant may alternatively complete Part B to indicate that he or she intends to rely on knowledge of the Welsh or Scottish Gaelic language, or is seeking exemption from the language requirement on the grounds of age or physical or mental condition.)

Where there is any doubt as to whether an applicant meets the required standard, designated teachers asked to certify language proficiency should not complete the certificate but should advise the applicant to seek the advice of the Nationality Group in Liverpool. Alternatively, they can suggest that the applicant attends a language course at a Further Education, Adult or Community ESOL College or an accredited private language school, in order to help them reach the required standard.

Once satisfied that an applicant meets, or exceeds, the level of competence in English required by the legislation, designated persons should issue a certificate as printed below. This should be handed to the applicant for submission with their application.

APPLICANT MUST COMPLETE EITHER PART A OR PART B, OR HAVE A DESIGNATED PERSON COMPLETE PART C

PART A

I have attained an ESOL Entry 3 qualification approved by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, and enclose a certificate to that effect.

Signed…................................................... Date…...............................

PART B

I request that the Secretary of State

 Takes account of my knowledge of the Welsh language*

 Takes account of my knowledge of the Scottish Gaelic language*

 Waives the requirement to have a sufficient knowledge of the English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic language in my case because….*

(*Delete and/or state reasons as appropriate)

Signed…................................................... Date…...............................

PART C

Name of applicant…………………………………………………………………..

I [name of designated person:]…………………………………………….. hereby certify that, having assessed the applicant named above, I am satisfied that (s)he has a sufficient knowledge of the English language for the purpose of naturalisation as a British citizen.

Signed…................................................... Date…...............................

Qualification…...................................... Official stamp:

[Stocky]

That's fair and good. Anyone who wishes to settle permanently should feel at home with the language if they intend making it their home and wish to become British Citizens.

However, with reference to your previous thread Uk Visas-the Future, this is not going to become a standard requirement for a vistor's visa application.

[BKK_banger]

That's fair and good. Anyone who wishes to settle permanently should feel at home with the language if they intend making it their home and wish to become British Citizens.

I like the bit about only having to speak Gaelic. That will really make them comfortable.

[the scouser]

Here's the Guardian's take on the new legislation.

Scouse.