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How to use Ecctis to prove your English language ability for a UK visa in 2025
Many UK visas require you to prove your English language ability to be able to have a valid application. Through Ecctis, you can prove your knowledge of the language by getting an Ecctis certificate confirming that you qualify.Â
Once you have an Ecctis certificate, you can use it as part of your visa application, and if everything else in your application is correct, you may be granted a UK visa. An immigration law firm such as ourselves can help you ensure that your application is submitted correctly.Â
In the next few sections, we will cover what Ecctis is, what you get from them, what visa applications benefit from using Ecctis, and how we can help you with your visa UK application,
What is Ecctis?
As we have briefly mentioned already, Ecctis works with the UK Government as an official body as part of UK visa applications.
Ecctis’ role is to essentially check someone’s qualifications, degrees and English language proficiency. Depending on what visa you are applying for, you may need to use all of these services.Â
They will check if your degrees and qualifications are comparable to their UK equivalents, as different countries may have different rules and names regarding degrees. They check qualifications through the UK National Information Centre (ENIC).Â
For example, they will check if your degree is equivalent to a UK Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree.Â
Before the UK left the European Union, NARIC UK carried out the role that Ecctis has today.
When you will need to use Ecctis
We have already touched on some examples of when Ecctis will need to be used, but we will go into more detail here.Â
Their two main services are the English Proficiency and Qualification Comparison, and just the Qualification Comparison.Â
The English Proficiency and Qualification Comparison service is used when your visa requires that you have a certain amount of English knowledge. For example, a Student Visa requires people to have a B1 level of English if they are studying at below degree level, or B2 if they are studying at degree or above. Â
To prove your knowledge of English, you can take a test, or use your degree as proof if it was taught in English. If you have a degree, it will be easier to use that as proof than having the stress of doing a test.Â
Degrees issued in countries where English is the official language will still need to go through Ecctis, alongside degrees taught in English in countries where it is not an official language.Â
Please note that the language levels such as ‘B1’ are from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which categorises people’s language skills according to levels ranging from A1 to C2.Â
If your qualifications and degrees were not taught in English, then you will only need to use the qualification comparison service. This is usually for if you are applying for a Skilled Worker Visa, or a High Potential Individual Visa. Instead of using your qualifications as proof of your English knowledge, you will need to take the aforementioned English test. You can learn more about how to take the test in our blog on proof of English language knowledge.
Once Ecctis have checked your qualifications, they will issue you with one of several statements that we will cover in the next section.Â
Different types of Ecctis statements
Depending on the service you used, you will get a different Ecctis certificate, or statement.Â
First, for English proficiency, there are two statements that depend on if your degree was issued in an English-speaking country or not.Â
If your degree was issued in an English-speaking country, then you will be given an Academic Qualification Level Statement. For non-English speaking countries and Canada, as some degrees are issued in French there, you will be given an English Language Proficiency Statement.Â
Next, for the comparison of qualifications, you will be issued with a Statement of Comparability to prove that your qualification is equal to those in the UK.Â
How to make an Ecctis application
To make an Ecctis application, you will first need to go to their website and visit their webpage for UK ENIC and QLS in the navigation bar, and then proceed to the qualification and language service page.Â
Then, you will need to click on the service you want to use, which will depend on if you need to compare your qualifications and prove your English proficiency, or just do one.Â
After this, you will just need to follow the steps in the application process.Â
Then, you can use your qualifications and degrees in your visa application. To ensure that the rest of your application goes well, you should use the services of an immigration law firm such as ourselves.Â
How we can help
Although we cannot help you with an Ecctis application, we can assist you by guiding you through the steps of your UK visa application. Regardless of whether you are applying for a Skilled Worker Visa, a Student Visa, a Spouse Visa, or something else, our expert team is here to help you.Â
To get our assistance, you will first need to contact us by either phone, email, our website chatbot, or by directly booking a free 10-minute assessment. Once you have taken this initial step, you can discuss your needs with a helpful member of our team, which also allows us to see how we might be able to help you.
After this, you can book a longer, paid consultation that will last either 30 minutes, or an hour. This consultation can be with either one of our immigration specialists, or with our Principal Solicitor, Nathan Woodcock. During this consultation, you will be given legal advice and we will help you plan your next steps.Â
Get in touch with us today for our expert visa guidance.Â
Still unsure about whether you should use our services? Then read about our past client success stories or visit our testimonials page to see our great reviews.Â
Ready for assistance?
If you have any questions, or want to book an appointment with one of our legal experts, contact Woodcock Law today. Call us on +44 (0)20 7712 1705 or email info@woodcocklaw.co.uk.
