Latest news with #BritishCitizenship
Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Firm behind UK citizenship tests owned by company embroiled in ‘cheating scandal'
British citizenship tests will be administered by a company whose new owners were previously embroiled in a cheating scandal, The Telegraph can reveal. PSI Services, a newly acquired subsidiary of New Jersey-based Educational Testing Services (ETS), was awarded the £19.8 million three-year contract last month. ETS previously held the contract for providing English language tests for immigration purposes until cheating allegations more than a decade ago compelled the Home Office to sever ties with the provider. The US assessment firm has now returned to immigration testing by purchasing PSI Services, which has been given responsibility for creating and rolling out the Life in the UK knowledge test for those seeking to become British citizens. A spokesman for ETS said that despite the purchase, PSI was 'operating as a separate entity'. The test is currently made up of 24 multiple choice questions aimed at proving the applicant has sufficient knowledge of British values, history and laws. It costs £50, takes 45 minutes and has a 75 per cent pass mark, asking questions such as: 'Who was the King of England at the time of the Norman invasion in 1066?' The Home Office has determined the bounds of required knowledge, which ranges from early British history and religion to politics, arts and culture. Setting out its specifications, the Government also recommended that questions should be asked on more taboo topics such as 'domestic violence', 'forced marriage', 'female genital mutilation', 'ethnic diversity', 'the slave trade' and 'conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq'. ETS, the world's largest private provider of testing and assessments, bought PSI Services in January 2024. Claims of systemic cheating The company held the licence to carry out the UK's secure English language testing for immigration purposes until it was alleged that its English language tests had been undermined by allegations of systemic cheating. An undercover BBC investigation in 2014 claimed tests were being sat by 'proxy' test takers on behalf of actual candidates and some invigilators were reading out answers. It was later claimed that some ETS staff had informed the Home Office of significant evidence of organised cheating almost two years before it was exposed, as they voiced concern that efforts to close some 'fraudulent' test centres were being blocked by managers worried that test fee income would fall. Asked by the Home Office to mark its own homework, the testing giant allegedly found that of around 58,000 people who sat the test between 2011 and 2015, some 58 per cent had used deception while another 39 per cent were deemed questionable. ETS's allegations prompted the Government to arbitrarily cancel 36,000 student visas and deport more than 2,500 people, with many since contesting the US company's findings. In the wake of the scandal, the Home Office cut ties with ETS, saying the contract had ended and would not be extended, and ETS closed its UK subsidiary. Wes Streeting, now the Health Secretary, told Parliament in 2018 that ETS was 'the grubby contractor at the centre of this scandal' and had 'serious questions to answer about their conduct in all this'. Stephen Timms, a Labour MP, said: 'Clearly, ETS was a discredited witness and yet the Home Office relied on them totally.' At the time, a spokesman for ETS told the BBC: 'ETS does everything it can to detect and prevent rare instances of dishonest test administrators or test takers.' In 2019 the company confirmed it had taken prompt action when it was made aware of serious allegations about UK tests in 2014. It said these were conducted by third-party contractors and overseen by its UK office. A spokesman said: 'ETS shared our methodology and findings with the UK Home Office but did not make any recommendations in relation to the same nor was ETS involved in determining how such information was utilised by the Home Office in its subsequent actions.' ETS added that it would continue to improve test security. Last year, Reed in Partnership was also handed a three year contract with option to extend to develop and deliver a test of knowledge of Life in the UK. Asked how both Reed in Partnership and PSI Services would be sharing the responsibilities for creating and running the service, the Home Office declined to comment. PSI Services is joining the immigration testing fold at a time when trust in citizenship testing has been rocked by further incidents of individual fraud. 'Complete disregard for UK immigration laws' In February, a 42-year-old woman from Kent was arrested on suspicion of wearing disguises to fraudulently sit the Life in the UK test on behalf of at least 12 people across multiple test centres. Chris Foster, the Home Office's criminal and financial investigation lead for London, said: 'This individual went to extreme lengths, using wigs and disguises to impersonate others and cheat the immigration system, showing a complete disregard for UK safety and immigration laws. 'There are 30 test centres around the UK and hundreds of thousands of people throughout the course of the year who sit the Life in the UK test and many are doing it legitimately.' The arrest came soon after Josephine Maurice, 61, from Enfield, admitted using wigs to fraudulently take the Life in the UK test on behalf of 13 people between June 2022 and August 2023. A spokesman for ETS said: 'PSI is a wholly owned subsidiary of ETS, operating as a separate entity. 'Under the terms of the contract between PSI and the Home Office, PSI retains full responsibility for the delivery of the Life in the UK Test on behalf of the Home Office. 'While PSI is now under ETS ownership, it functions with autonomy in service execution for this contract.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Record number of Americans seeking UK residency, says Home Office
During the 12 months leading up to March, more than 6,000 US citizens have applied to either become British subjects or to live and work in the country indefinitely – the highest number since comparable records began in 2004, according to data released on Thursday by the UK's Home Office. Over the period, 6,618 Americans applied for British citizenship – with more than 1,900 of the applications received between January and March, most of which has been during the beginning of Donald Trump's second US presidency. The surge in applications at the start of 2025 made that the highest number for any quarter on record. Related: 1.5m foreign workers already in UK could face longer wait for permanent settlement The figures come as British authorities under a Labour government are trying to reduce immigration to the UK, with Britain's prime minister, Keir Starmer, vowing to take 'back control of our borders' and warning that uncontrolled immigration could result in the country 'becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together'. UK figures show net migration dropped by almost half in 2024 – to 431,000 – compared with 2023. The surge in US applications for UK residency comes as American immigration lawyers say they are receiving an increasing number of inquiries. Some are pointing to the polarized political climate in the Trump-led country, which itself is mounting an aggressive immigration-related crackdown. Muhunthan Paramesvaran, an immigration lawyer at Wilsons Solicitors in London, told the New York Times that inquiries had risen 'in the immediate aftermath of the election and the various pronouncements that were made'. 'There's definitely been an uptick in inquiries from US nationals,' Paramesvaran told the outlet. 'People who were already here may have been thinking: 'I want the option of dual citizenship in the event that I don't want to go back to the US.'' Zeena Luchowa, a partner at Laura Devine Immigration, which specializes in US migration to the UK, was more explicit in pointing to the 'political landscape' amid Trump's government. Luchowa told the outlet that the rise was not limited to US nationals – but also other nationalities living there. 'The queries we're seeing are not necessarily about British citizenship – it's more about seeking to relocate,' Luchowa said to the Times. However, the increase in US applications to the UK may not necessarily reflect political conditions in either country. Of the 5,521 settlement applications from US citizens last year, most were from people who were eligible via spousal or family links. Paramesvaran said such applications were likely to climb because the UK government had extended the qualification period from five years to 10 before they could apply for settlement. But Labour government politicians have hinted that some applicants may be able to skirt those requirements. That echoes one aspect of Trump's thinking in the US, where he has floated the idea of an immigration 'gold card' – in essence, an extension of the EB-5 program that extends green cards to foreign investors and their families. The UK home secretary, Yvette Cooper, told parliament earlier in May that 'there will be provisions to qualify more swiftly that take account of the contribution people have made' and said the British government 'will introduce new, higher language requirements' because 'the ability to speak English is integral to everyone's ability to contribute and integrate'.
The Guardian
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Record number of Americans are seeking residency in UK, according to Home Office
During the 12 months leading up to March, more than 6,000 US citizens have applied to either become British subjects or to live and work in the country indefinitely – the highest number since comparable records began in 2004, according to data released on Thursday by the UK's Home Office. Over the period, 6,618 Americans applied for British citizenship – with more than 1,900 of the applications received between January and March, most of which has been during the beginning of Donald Trump's second US presidency. The surge in applications at the start of 2025 made that the highest number for any quarter on record. The figures come as British authorities under a Labour government are trying to reduce immigration to the UK, with Britain's prime minister, Keir Starmer, vowing to take 'back control of our borders' and warning that uncontrolled immigration could result in the country 'becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together'. UK figures show net migration dropped by almost half in 2024 – to 431,000 – compared with 2023. The surge in US applications for UK residency comes as American immigration lawyers say they are receiving an increasing number of inquiries. Some are pointing to the polarized political climate in the Trump-led country, which itself is mounting an aggressive immigration-related crackdown. Muhunthan Paramesvaran, an immigration lawyer at Wilsons Solicitors in London, told the New York Times that inquiries had risen 'in the immediate aftermath of the election and the various pronouncements that were made'. 'There's definitely been an uptick in inquiries from US nationals,' Paramesvaran told the outlet. 'People who were already here may have been thinking, 'I want the option of dual citizenship in the event that I don't want to go back to the US.'' Zeena Luchowa, a partner at Laura Devine Immigration, which specializes in US migration to the UK, was more explicit in pointing to the 'political landscape' amid Trump's government. Luchowa told the outlet that the rise was not limited to US nationals – but also other nationalities living there. 'The queries we're seeing are not necessarily about British citizenship – it's more about seeking to relocate,' Luchowa said to the Times. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion However, the increase in US applications to the UK may not necessarily reflect political conditions in either country. Of the 5,521 settlement applications from US citizens last year, most were from people who are eligible via spousal or family links. Paramesvaran said such applications were likely to climb because the UK government had extended the qualification period from five years to 10 before they could apply for settlement. But Labour government politicians have hinted that some applicants may be able to skirt those requirements. That echoes one aspect of Trump's thinking in the US, where he has floated the idea of an immigration 'gold card', in essence an extension of the EB-5 program that extends green cards to foreign investors and their families. The UK home secretary, Yvette Cooper, told parliament earlier in May that 'there will be provisions to qualify more swiftly that take account of the contribution people have made' and said the British government 'will introduce new, higher language requirements' because 'the ability to speak English is integral to everyone's ability to contribute and integrate'.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Can you pass a British citizenship test? See if you can answer these 23 questions
Immigration is a hot topic these days. Keir Starmer has even gone so far as to warn we face becoming an "island of strangers". It's a comment that many found repulsive, and many would have nodded along in agreement to. And now there are all sorts of promises from the Labour government to tighten up immigration rules and raise the bar for what hoops people must jump through to live and work in the United Kingdom. READ MORE: Boy, 4, dies after being pulled from hotel swimming pool in Tenerife READ MORE: High street store that closed all 236 UK stores in 2012 set to return One requirement of that process has been taking the 'Life in the UK' test, which can put you on the pathway to become a British citizen. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE To take the test, you have to have been living in the UK for a certain period of time, not have any criminal convictions and pass an English language test. The test consists of questions on a mixture of subjects, including culture, history and customs and you get 45 minutes to take it. While some questions are pretty straightforward, others would require a bit of background knowledge and research. You can take the test as many times as it takes to pass, but each attempt costs £50. Generally the pass rate has hovered around the 80 per cent mark. To pass, you must correctly answer 18 questions, or 75 percent and the results are given immediately at the end of the test. Do you think you could pass the test? Have a go for yourself below... For the latest stories and breaking news visit Get the latest headlines, features and analysis that matter to you by signing up to our various Manchester Evening News newsletters here. You can also get all your favourite content from the Manchester Evening News on WhatsApp. Click here to stay up to date with the us on X @mennewsdesk for all the latest stories and updates on breaking incidents from across the region and beyond, as well as on our Facebook page you prefer reading our stories on your phone, consider downloading the Manchester Evening News app here, and our newsdesk will make sure every time an essential story breaks, you'll be the first to hear about it.
New York Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Record Number of Americans Apply for British Citizenship
A record number of Americans applied for British citizenship in the first three months of this year, and for the right to live and work in Britain indefinitely, according to official data. In the year to March, 6,618 Americans applied for British citizenship, the highest annual figure since records began in 2004, according to statistics released by Britain's Home Office on Thursday. More than 1,900 of those applications were made between January and March — the highest number for any quarter on record. Immigration lawyers said they had received an increased number of inquiries from people in the United States about possibly relocating to Britain in the wake of President Trump's re-election in November. Muhunthan Paramesvaran, a senior immigration lawyer at Wilsons Solicitors in London, said that inquiries from Americans looking to settle in Britain had risen 'in the immediate aftermath of the election and the various pronouncements that were made.' 'There's definitely been an uptick in inquiries from U.S. nationals,' he said. 'People who were already here may have been thinking, 'I want the option of dual citizenship in the event that I don't want to go back to the U.S.'' The rise in British citizenship applications from Americans took place against a backdrop of similar increases from across the world, but the global rate — 9.5 percent year-on-year — was far outpaced by the 30 percent jump from the United States. Zeena Luchowa, a partner at Laura Devine Immigration, a law firm that specializes in American migration to Britain, said she expected further increases in the coming months because of the 'political landscape' in America. 'We've seen increases in inquiries and applications not just for U.S. nationals, but for U.S. residents of other nationalities who are currently in the U.S. but looking at plans to settle in the U.K.,' she added. 'The queries we're seeing are not necessarily about British citizenship — it's more about seeking to relocate.' Separate data published by the Home Office this week showed that a record number of Americans were given the right to settle in Britain in 2024, allowing them to live and work indefinitely in the country as a necessary precursor to citizenship. Of the 5,521 settlement applications granted for U.S. citizens last year, most were for people who are eligible because of their spouses, parents and other family links, while a substantial portion were for people who had originally arrived in Britain on temporary visas for 'skilled workers' and want to remain. That figure was up 20 percent compared to 2023 and marked a record high for Americans granted permission to remain in Britain indefinitely. However, the jump was less than the overall increase in settlement grants for all nationalities, which rose by 37 percent in the same period. Mr. Paramesvaran believes that the rate of settlement applications will accelerate further in the coming months after the British government recently announced that most people would have to live in the country for 10 years, rather than the current five, before they can apply for permanent settlement. 'People are worried about what may be on the horizon in terms of potential changes to qualification periods,' he said. 'It's a case of people wanting to take advantage of the rules and guidance as they exist today.' Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, said in Parliament on May 12 that some people might qualify 'more swiftly' for permanent settlement in Britain depending on the 'contribution' they made, but that the exact details would not finalized until later this year. Marley Morris, associate director for migration at the London-based Institute for Public Policy Research, said there were likely a 'few things going on' behind the overall increase in settlement applications from around the world, with 'political motivations' being among several factors. 'There are a whole load of people who are becoming eligible for settlement and that is filtering through the system,' Mr. Morris added. Successive British governments have been seeking to cut net migration, which halved in 2024 according to figures released on Thursday. That decline followed a tightening of restrictions by the previous Conservative administration.
