27th July 2014 - IELTS for Secondary applicants (Functional English)

Be careful your partners IELTS result has not expired when trying to prove functional English. The IELTS test should have been sat in the 12 months before the application is made. (Regulation 5.17 1(c) of the Migration Regulations 1994). Some applicants believe that the results remain valid for 3 years as this is the case for the majority of visas. However, this is a common mistake that can cause significant stress and not to mention extra money to pay out when you find out the test needs to be re-sat. 

Therefore, if using IELTS to prove functional English you should ensure they have: 

An IELTS average band score of at least 4.5 based on the 4 test components of speaking, reading, writing and listening in a test conducted not more than 12 months before lodging the relevant application to migrate. 

Please note there are a number of other methods in which to evidence you possess 'Functional english'. If you require further clarification on this please contact Visa Makers.