English Language Test For Wifes Visa

[Wezo]

Hello everyone, I hope you can help me with a quick question.

I am just going through the UK settlement visa application with my wife and need a good yet not too expensive english language test centre for her to take the test. The one I have contacted to date is in siam and charges 6900 baht for the test.. Is this a normal price? I think the company is predominantly for business clients so suspect it is a little over priced. Any examples/experiences of other places would be fatastic.

Many thanks in advance for any help.

[Thongkorn]

Maybe get better infomation if you posted in the Visa section ,

Edited January 20, 2012 by Thongkorn

[farang000999]

no test was needed for us visa. surprised the brits test for it. they seem to be very very pro immigration. kinda surprised if a woman marrying a farang could not pass.

[zzaa09]

no test was needed for us visa. surprised the brits test for it. they seem to be very very pro immigration. kinda surprised if a woman marrying a farang could not pass.

Your assumptions are leading you to suggest that all Thai girls that hook up with Farang might manage the language reasonably because of exposure?....as in: automatically? Comes with the territory?

How many Farang-Thai marriages do you know where the Farang is more fluent of the wife's language than she is to his? Baffling as it might be to some, there are households where the Lingua Franca is the local language of choice.

[Lite Beer]

Moved to the appropriate forum.

[Wezo]

as helpful as some of this all is, it clearly states on the UK visa immigration rules that a married partner with thai nationality requires proof of english language level to at least A1 in order to apply for the settlement visa. It's not a case of whether she can or cannot, it's a case off ticking all the right boxes. She is actually more like a level b2/c1 (for those efl teachers amongst you) but regardless the embassy states:

Applicants for visas and permission to remain in the UK (known as 'leave to remain') must meet this requirement, unless they are exempt (see below). The requirement was introduced on 29 November 2010.

You will meet the requirement if you can show that you:

• are a national of a majority English-speaking country; or
  
• have passed an English language test approved by us at the appropriate level; or
  
• hold a degree that was taught in English and is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or above.
  

All i was really asking was for peoples experience of schools that offer the service and the cost of the test.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Wezo

[cdnvic]

Off topic posts removed.

[unobeano]

Wezo

I have experience of only one test centre for the language test. Vantage-Siam

My partner did the test last Nov.

The test consists of 4 sections, reading, writing, listening & speaking.

The embassy are only interested in listening & speaking.

So it doesnt matter what your GF does in the reading writing sections.

It's an adaptive computer test, so she will be asked "whats your name" she'll give a reply. As the questions progress the computer will ask easier or harder questions depending on the answers.

It is a very simple test, i would say if you can hold a simple conversation with your GF then there is no need to do the course, its espensive enough at 7000bht

BULATS is a business course so some of the questions will involve business questions. It will ask for example "what would you like in your office" an office can be anywhere the beach, a shop, a bank, etc. My partner said he would like to open a thai food shop with cabaret dancers. (Thats his ideal office!!)

Following the test on the day you will be given the results for the computer test, the speaking test is sent of to be graded by a human, and the result for this part will take about a week. About three weeks later a certificate will be sent from Cambridge University in the UK.

I would advise for you to check what is required by the UKBA, there was a lot of confusion before christmas, about what they would accept. Until recently they were accepting just the locally issued BULATS test results, but they might need the certificate.

The confusion arrises because although your GF might get A1 or higher in speaking & listening (which is all that is required) she might fail the reading and writing section (thats not required by the UKBA) the certificate from the UK has an overall score (avarage) and if she gets below A1 no certificate is issued. Don't let that scare you into paying 26000 just explain the situation in your supporting evidence. Remember UKBA are only interested in the speaking and listening test result. you can check with VFS or the Embassy nearer the time.

The test lasts about 3 - 4 hours and it is simple English.

There are some example tests which your GF can do

https://bulatsdt.bulatsonline.org/ap...tModePage.html

you'll need some tokens to get started

BULATS Online Reading and Listening (Standard Test)

Token: DEMBULE1

BULATS Online Speaking Test

Token: DEMBULE1SP

BULATS Online Writing Test

Token: DEMBULE1W

dont worry about your GF filling in the registration form, im sure vantage do that for you. nut for the test excercise you'll need to complete it for her.

This will give you an idea of what the test is about.

Again i cant stress enough this is a "simple" test in listening and speaking, try not to worry, it is very easy.

email address for Vantage [email protected]

[Sing_Sling]

I've heard many people complain about this but preparing your partner with a basic understanding of the language of her future home simply makes sense and is in the best interests of that person.

[7by7]

Unfortunately, all the approved test centres in Thailand are business orientated and so their tests are the same and include reading and writing. Probably as most of their customers are business people. Maybe as demand for the more basic speaking and listening test grows they will offer just this; but don't hold your breath.

As said; although she will have to take the full test it does not matter what she scores in reading and writing; even if it means she fails the test! As long as she scores A1 or better in speaking and listening this is sufficient for her visa.

NB Topic title edited to show which country.

[ja99]

Does the UK insist on the English language qualification for other nationalities other than Thai (females)? Odd, given they often boast about their mullt-cultural mix and number of languages spken in their country.

[RaymondJohnEdwards]

Sorry but although this information is good I think you may be misleading people without actually meaning to.

The following tests are accepted and there is no such thing as an approved by the UK government testing centre:

KET at A2

IELTS at B1

and these at B1-C2

PET

FCE

CAE

CPE

BEC

ILEC

ICFE

It is interesting to note that BULATS is not on the list of acceptable tests, but is sometimes accepted as above the level of most of the others.

Any centre approved by the examining board (mainly Cambridge) in Thailand can conduct the test.

If the qualification is of a lower order then it will be required for her to do a "Life in the UK" test later in England before her status is confirmed.

Hope this helps,

Raymond J Edwards

Edited January 22, 2012 by 7by7
Spam removed.

[Roj]

Does the UK insist on the English language qualification for other nationalities other than Thai (females)? Odd, given they often boast about their mullt-cultural mix and number of languages spken in their country.

Yes they do. I go back to the UK often and have never heard anyone boasting about the number of languages spoken. Quite the opposite, in fact, because it causes great strain on schools, especially in parts of London where as many as 20 different languages may be spoken in a single school. Multiculturalism was a product of the New Labour government which admitted they did it to change the face of Britain and score points over the Conservatives in opposition. Multicultarism has been a failed experiment as many immigrants have no intention of integrating, unlike Thai wives.

[samsingsong]

Sorry but although this information is good I think you may be misleading people without actually meaning to.

The following tests are accepted and there is no such thing as an approved by the UK government testing centre:

KET at A2

IELTS at B1

and these at B1-C2

PET

FCE

CAE

CPE

BEC

ILEC

ICFE

It is interesting to note that BULATS is not on the list of acceptable tests, but is sometimes accepted as above the level of most of the others.

Any centre approved by the examining board (mainly Cambridge) in Thailand can conduct the test.

If the qualification is of a lower order then it will be required for her to do a "Life in the UK" test later in England before her status is confirmed.

Hope this helps,

Raymond J Edwards

Sorry Raymond, but I think it is you who is in danger of misleading people with this information!

The UK Border Agency only accepts certain English Language tests, and only accept them from certain listed approved test providers.

The only one I could find for my wife was the Vantage-Siam BULATS test as previously mentioned.

UKBA Info on link below:

http://www.ukba.home...nglish-language

and:

http://www.ukba.home...glish-tests.pdf

Edited January 22, 2012 by 7by7
Spam removed from quote

[7by7]

The following tests are accepted and there is no such thing as an approved by the UK government testing centre

You are correct; I should have said "approved test provider," see here. These tests are offered by some English schools etc. in Thailand, but not all.

As already said, and has been confirmed by the entry clearance office at the Bangkok embassy, as long as the applicant has scored at least A1, or the equivalent, in speaking and listening in a test from an approved provider, it does not matter whether or not they actually passed the whole test.

It is interesting to note that BULATS is not on the list of acceptable tests.............

Wrong; it is on the list; see page 7 of the document linked to above.

If the qualification is of a lower order then it will be required for her to do a "Life in the UK" test later in England before her status is confirmed.

Completely and utterly wrong!

All applicants for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK must satisfy the Knowledge of language and life in the UK, even those from English speaking countries; unless they are exempt due to age or disability. KOL can only be satisfied in the UK; a qualification obtained outside the UK would not be acceptable.

[RaymondJohnEdwards]

OK firstly I stand corrected BULATS was added to the list in late 2011 - I apologise for my error.

However click your link provided and then the link on that page titled

New list of approved English tests

As I stated above the list comprises of KET, PET, FCE, CAE, CPE, etc etc (and also now includes TOEFL and TOEIC)

With the addition of TOEFL IBT to the list I would add this to my recommendation, but it is much more expensive.

I think you are possibly confusing test providers with test centres, the test provider is the examinations board eg Cambridge, Oxford, etc. the test centre is any location (including online for IBT) that has been certified by the test provider. The test provider is certainly approved by the UKBA and shown on the list, but the test centre certainly is NOT. There are quite a few TOEFL IBT test centres in Thailand and a few other exam centres. In fact any school can do TOEFL IBT tests by getting special permission from the exam board.

However, many thanks SamSingSong for reading my post, taking the time to point out my error and adding the links. It makes my day to be show an error in any information I give to people as that way I am constantly learning myself and won't do it twice. Have a great day.

Raymond

Edited January 22, 2012 by 7by7
Machine code errors removed.

[RaymondJohnEdwards]

Not strictly true 7x7, see the extract below, but you are clearly correct in context.

Certain applicants for settlement are exempt from the 'knowledge of language and life' (KOL) requirement. These exemptions are listed below.

Exemption for certain immigration categories

You will not have to meet the KOL requirement if you are being granted settlement outside the Immigration Rules, or if you are applying for settlement as:

a Foreign and Commonwealth citizen on discharge from HM Forces (including a Gurkha);

the husband, wife or civil partner of a Foreign and Commonwealth citizen on discharge from HM Forces (including a Gurkha);

a victim of domestic violence;

the bereaved partner (husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried partner or same-sex partner) of a British citizen or someone who was settled here;

a parent, grandparent or other dependent relative of a British citizen or someone who has settled here (under paragraph 317 of the Immigration Rules);

a retired person of independent means;

a European national or the non-European family member of a European national, making an application under the Free Movement of Persons provisions (not based on the Immigration Rules);

a Turkish businessperson under the European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) with Turkey;

someone who has spent five years in the UK with permission to stay as a refugee;

someone who has spent six years in the UK with discretionary leave;

someone who has spent four years in the UK with exceptional leave to remain;

someone who has spent five years in the UK with humanitarian protection; or

a dependent child of someone in an employment category that preceding the points-based system (listed in paragraphs 128-193 of the Immigration Rules, excluding paragraphs 135I-135K) or of someone who is here as a businessman, self-employed person, investor, writer, composer or artist (paragraphs 200-239 of the Immigration Rules). This includes children who are 18 or over when they apply.

However, you will need to demonstrate your knowledge of language and life in the UK if you later apply for British citizenship, unless you are exempt for other reasons. For more information, see the Citizenship section.

If you are applying for settlement in one of the categories above, you should ensure that you meet the requirements for that category and can provide documentary evidence to support your application. The application form for your settlement category lists the evidence you must provide.

All the best

Raymond

[7by7]

Yes, there are certain exemptions to the KOL requirement, so my saying "all" was not, strictly speaking, correct.

However, very few, if any, of those exemptions would apply to members here.

It does not change the fact that your statement

If the qualification is of a lower order then it will be required for her to do a "Life in the UK" test later in England before her status is confirmed.

is completely and utterly wrong.

BTW, when quoting from another website, or any source, it is good netiquette to link to that source, or at least acknowledge it. The information you have quoted comes from the Knowledge of language and life in the UK I linked to earlier.

[bartsimson]

Hello there fella

Yes you have read the visa req'mts correct where are you exactly if you are anywhere near Pattaya there is a english language test centre on soi 13 (post office soi ) and they are very good, at the time my wife done the test the cost was 4800Baht she will have to have a basic understanding in English (reading and writing) there are several sites on the internet where you can get sample test papers

some of the threads posted for your question are to say the least un helpfull I will however attatch files to this message which contain the sample questions for you to print off but I do not know if the administrator will deleate them hope this is a help to you

regards Andy.

Edited January 22, 2012 by 7by7
Spam removed.

[VisasPlus]

Hello there fella

Yes you have read the visa req'mts correct where are you exactly if you are anywhere near Pattaya there is a english language test centre on soi 13 (post office soi ) and they are very good, at the time my wife done the test the cost was 4800Baht she will have to have a basic understanding in English (reading and writing) there are several sites on the internet where you can get sample test papers

some of the threads posted for your question are to say the least un helpfull I will however attatch files to this message which contain the sample questions for you to print off but I do not know if the administrator will deleate them hope this is a help to you

regards Andy.

Your information is, I think, out of date. There are now no test centres in Pattaya. Although the location you mention does still advertise that they are an approved test centre, they actually aren't. It is a case of what one might call "creative advertising'. I stand to be corrected, but I don't think so.

Edited January 22, 2012 by 7by7
Spam removed from quote.

[bartsimson]

creative advertising' would you explain this

for your information this ofice is still open and being used as a test centre, and I would like to Add that I do not have anything to do with this visa office in soi 13 it was just an informative msg to someone who wanted help.

Edited January 22, 2012 by 7by7
Spam and defamatory flame removed.

[RaymondJohnEdwards]

OK 7by7 I will avoid saying anything more, I apologise if I rubbed you up the wrong way only trying to be part of a helpful community.

... and you have to admit I was at least partially right.

Wow, I consider myself bitch slapped.

My first post for a long time and I got into trouble with the moderators!

Seriously though I will be more careful in future and I thank you for your gentle guidance.

Best regards,

Raymond.

[VisasPlus]

creative advertising' would you explain this

for your information this ofice is still open and being used as a test centre, and I would like to Add that I do not have anything to do with this visa office in soi 13 it was just an informative msg to someone who wanted help.

Thank you for the update. They don't seem to appear on any known list of approved testers. I will check them out. I have just noticed that there is now another test centre in Pattaya - CTLS. Their website shows that they are now an approved UKBA tester.

Edited January 23, 2012 by VisasPlus

[VisasPlus]

creative advertising' would you explain this

for your information this ofice is still open and being used as a test centre, and I would like to Add that I do not have anything to do with this visa office in soi 13 it was just an informative msg to someone who wanted help.

Well, I have to admit that I am pretty confused. Their website claims that they do A2 Level tests for UK settlement visas, and that the tests are held in Pattaya. But, the website also says that the tests are held on behalf of EMD, and EMD are no longer an approved UKBA tester. Very curious. Perhaps one of our regular posters ( who was employed by this company ), can shed some light on it ?

[VisasPlus]

I have made some enquiries. It seems that this establishment, although advertising that they do the tests in Pattaya, actually transport their test applicants to Bangkok for the test ! They are not a test centre, nor are they approved by the UKBA to carry out tests. Again, I stand to be corrected, but this, indeed, does seem to be creative advertising