The previous version of the document defining the required level of knowledge for an immigrant was criticized for requiring foreigners to have a minimal level sufficient only to receive benefits. The new, stricter exams will be mandatory not only for ordinary newcomers, but also for some refugees granted political asylum in the country.
However, the Advisory Board that prepared the program made a small concession - they will assess not the level of language knowledge, but the progress an immigrant has been able to achieve during course studies. A positive assessment will be given when a citizenship applicant can move up one point on the special ESOL scale (English for Speakers of Other Languages). Different requirements will also apply to different age groups, as it is believed that older people find it much harder to learn.
Speaking in defense of the program, one of its developers stated that knowledge of the history of Britain, its modern state structure and lifestyle could not only bring an immigrant closer to neighbors, but also help a foreigner resist various nationalist-minded groups.
The BBC publishes a list of basic requirements for an immigrant: the ability to speak English, Welsh, or Gaelic; the ability to handle modern household items; understanding of the basics of democracy and the structure of British state institutions - Parliament, the monarchy; knowledge of the basics of etiquette, tolerance for gender equality; knowledge of British history since 1945. In addition, a candidate for citizenship must have lived in Britain for at least five years, or have been married to a citizen of the country for three years.