Guidance

Educational Testing Service: caseworker guidance

Immigration staff guidance on Educational Testing Services (ETS).

From:
UK Visas and Immigration
Published
9 March 2020
Last updated
13 April 2026 — See all updates

Documents

Educational Testing Service (ETS): casework instructions (accessible version)

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Educational Testing Service (ETS): casework instructions

PDF, 317 KB, 52 pages

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Implementing appeals - Educational Testing Service (ETS): casework instructions (accessible version)

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Implementing appeals - Educational Testing Service (ETS): casework instructions

PDF, 164 KB, 6 pages

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Details

UK Visas and Immigration guidance on how staff manage cases affected by the Educational Testing Services English language issues.

Updates to this page

Published 9 March 2020
Last updated 13 April 2026 + show all updates

  1. The caseworker guidance has been updated to include a simplified table to provide an overview of what actions should be taken depending on the outcome of an appeal or judicial review. New guidance on how to implement appeals related to the Educational Testing Services (ETS) tools has been added. This instruction must be read in conjunction with the caseworker guidance.

  2. Guidance updated to include: key extracts from the Upper Tribunal (UT) determination in DK and RK [2022] and Varkey and Joseph [2024]; case consideration flowcharts; how to assess settlement applications under Long Residency with regards to ‘continuous residence’ and ‘lawful presence’; minded to refuse (MTR) process, including instructions to obtain voice recording of ETS tests from ETS’s solicitors; how to implement appeal decisions and close ETS alerts; sample grant and refusal wordings.

  3. Updated implementing appeal findings section in guidance.

  4. Updated guidance.

  5. First published.

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