Buried in the detailed annex to the May ‘Monthly Entry Clearance Visa Applications’ release is a notable trend: refusals for work-route visas citing failure to meet English-language requirements jumped to 1,920 in Q1 2026, an 18 % increase on the previous quarter. The uplift coincides with the new B2 standard introduced in January. Skilled Worker applicants accounted for 78 % of the refusals. Analysis by HR consultancy WorkGlobal suggests many came from countries where SELT test slots are limited, leading some candidates to rely on university-degree taught-in-English evidence that UKVI later deemed insufficient. For sponsors this is more than a compliance irritation: a single refusal still consumes a Certificate of Sponsorship allocation and can delay project start dates by months. Experts recommend pre-vetting degree documentation through Ecctis well before CoS assignment and offering to fund resit fees where necessary. The data bolster calls for expansion of SELT centres and clearer Home Office guidance. In the meantime, mobility teams must factor a higher risk premium into pipeline planning, particularly for time-critical secondments.
