The Home Office last week made significant changes to the regulations for learners applying for UK citizenship, or Indefinite Leave to Remain, through the ESOL Entry level qualifications.

The measures were implemented to stop unscrupulous centres tricking learners with massive fees in return for ESOL certificates that were based on quick assessment.

All ESOL providers must now be publicly funded colleges or private colleges accredited through one of four agencies.

However, Chris Taylor, programme director for ESOL at NIACE, warns thousands of learners could face serious obstacles if they are already on a course that is not officially accredited.

Ms Taylor says: "NIACE believes that thousands of learners could be in the position where they have an ESOL Entry level qualification, but this will not help them in any Indefinite Leave to Remain application. NIACE is very concerned about these learners who have paid their fees, started their ESOL course and successfully acquired the qualification only to be rejected at this stage."

Although Ms Taylor says the intention behind the government crackdown is a good one, the speed of introducing the regulation has taken many by surprise.

"Good centres will be hit. Learners will be disappointed. There may be very serious consequences for Citizenship or ILR applicants," she says.

"We would like a six-month interim period introduced after the General Election on 7 May 2010 to allow centres to apply to the accrediting bodies and allowing students already on courses to complete them and have the validity of their certificates recognised."

In the interim, NIACE is calling for ESOL Awarding Bodies to perform the function of the accrediting bodies so that learners are not left in limbo.

Jason Rainbow