Home Office regulation changes for ESOL and Citizenship

NATECLA Statement on Home Office regulation changes for ESOL and Citizenship On 7 April, the Home Office made important changes to the regulations for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) learners who are applying for UK citizenship or Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) through the ESOL Entry level qualifications. All ESOL providers now have to be publicly funded colleges or private colleges accredited through one of four agencies - they are Accreditation UK, the British Accreditation Council, the Accreditation Body for Language Services, and the Accreditation Service for International Colleges. The four agencies currently accredit language providers who recruit students from overseas. A stated aim of the changes is to close down unscrupulous businesses which have exploited the high demand for settlement and citizenship by deceiving applicants about the requirements and providing certification without assessment. There is a clear need to remove these fraudulent businesses and NATECLA strongly agrees that all centres providing Citizenship courses should be monitored to ensure the quality and probity of their provision. However, the introduction of the changes without notice on the Tuesday after Easter, has taken everyone by surprise. Good centres have been forced to close courses overnight. There may be very serious consequences for Citizenship or ILR applicants who are now being rejected, having done all the law required up to the 7th April. In view of the difficulties that learners will have in finding alternative courses in time for visa deadlines, NATECLA would like a six-month interim period introduced to allow centres to apply for accreditation and allowing students already on courses to complete them and have the validity of their certificates recognised. NATECLA supports the NIACE proposal that the ESOL Awarding Bodies are allowed to perform the function of the accrediting bodies so that learners are not left in limbo. It is concerned that thousands of learners could be in the position where they have demonstrated their willingness to learn English and have achieved an ESOL Entry level qualification only to be rejected at the last stage. Copy of letter from Federation of awarding bodies endorsed by NATECLA and others and sent to John Hayes, Minister for Lifelong Learning and Home Secretary Theresa May. http://www.natecla.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_3163.pdf To view Home Office documentation and links http://www.natecla.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=494 FACT SHEET 1 – New requirements for naturalisation/citizenship and demonstrating knowledge of language and life in the UK Date published: 02/06/2010 This document sets out the new language requirements for naturalisation/citizenship and the necessary documentation required by the Home Office http://readingroom.skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk/sfa/fact_sheet_1__esol__language_requirements_for_citizenship-may2010.pdf