Migrants will be expected to learn English to an A Level standard to work in Britain under new regulations.
Under new proposals by the Home Secretary, anyone applying via certain legal routes must meet an A Level equivalent standard in speaking, listening, reading and writing.
Critics of the current system have accused the current standards as being "too simplistic."
The Secure English Language Test must be conducted with a Home Office-approved provider, and the results will then be verified as part of the visa application process.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, said: "This country has always welcomed those who come to this country and contribute.
"But it is unacceptable for migrants to come here without learning our language, unable to contribute to our national life. If you come to this country, you must learn our language and play your part."
The new standard requires people to express themselves "fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expression."
Anyone taking the test is expected to be able to communicate flexibly in social, academic and work situations.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said migrants must 'play their part'
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According to data from the 2021 Census, 43.9 per cent of people in the UK, who did not report English as their main language, can speak English very well.
A further 35.8 per cent of people who do not use English as their first language can speak it well.
According to the National Literacy Trust, 18 per cent of adults aged 16 to 65 have very poor literacy skills.
Ms Mahmood will also change the rules so that any migrant will have to achieve the B2 level of English if they want to settle in the UK and become a British citizen.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The Home Secretary has changed the regulations about English
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She is also expected to introduce a basic English user A1 level requirement which will mean that for the first time, all adult dependents of workers and students coming to the UK will have to have a basic grasp of the language.
Also announced today all nationals of Botswana will now be required to obtain a visa before travelling to the UK, including for short visits.
The new ruling will be effective from 3pm today, October 14.
This decision comes in response to a high number of Botswana nationals arriving since 2022 as visitors and subsequently claiming asylum, which Home Office officials called "a misuse of the UK’s immigration system."
Ms Mahmood said: “People traffickers and criminal gangs are abusing our immigration system.
"Over a thousand Botswanans have come to this country under false pretences, before entering the illegal economy or claiming asylum.
"This measure will crack down on this fraud, restore order to our borders, and ensure our migration system doesn’t undercut British workers."