Department for Education has announced that residency eligibility rules for accessing Adult Skills Fund funded courses is due to change from 1st August 2025.
Individuals will be eligible for funding if they are ordinarily resident in the UK on the first day of learning and the learning is taking place in England.
Individuals will not be able to access ASF funding if:
- they are here without authority or lawful status
- they are resident in the UK on a student visa, unless they are eligible through meeting any other of the categories
- they are in the UK on holiday
- they are in the UK on a sponsorship visa
- their residence permit imposes a study prohibition or restriction
DfE has published updated funding rules to reflect this: Adult skills fund: funding and performance management rules 2025 to 2026 – GOV.UK
Impact on BN(O) Visa Holders
Currently BN(O) visa holders have to prove at least 3-years residence in the UK to access ASF funded courses. With this rule change a BN(O) visa holder will be able to access ASF funded courses from day one of learning if they can prove ordinary residence.
The new rule changes currently only apply to areas where ASF is non-devolved. In Mayoral Combined Authority areas where ASF is devolved they will have the choice of adopting the new eligibility rules from 1st August 2025, or they can choose to delay the changes by 12 months. We are currently awaiting the decision of the Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region Combined Authorities on when they will implement the change.
For the financial year 2025/26 MHCLG also has funding available for Local Authorities to draw down to support BN(O) visa holders with English language. Up to £850 per learner is available for LA’s to retrospectively claim from MHCLG. MHCLG has informed SMPs that this funding will continue to be available for the remainder of the financial year.