The House of Commons Home Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into work-based immigration, looking at how migration links to skills and training policy, and what role migration should play in tackling UK labour shortages. Organisations with experience in this area, including employers, can submit evidence on issues such as salary thresholds, shortage lists and visa eligibility until 27 October 2026.
On 15 September 2026, the Home Affairs Committee announced an inquiry to examine work-based immigration. This inquiry comes following the findings of the 'Your Voice on Immigration', a programme of citizen assembly events. Here, the participants agreed that training UK residents should be prioritised over relying on migrant labour. The committee will consider how this main principle, and the other 12 principles produced by the programme, can be embedded into UK immigration policy.
The inquiry will examine the connection between migration, skills and training policy alongside evaluating what the role of migration should be when addressing labour shortages in the UK.
The call for evidence
The Committee is encouraging submissions of evidence from academics, researchers and organisations with experience and expertise in labour migration and workforce and skills policy.
Evidence is requested on the following topics (including subsidiary questions not listed here):
The link between immigration policy and investment in skills, training and domestic recruitment
- What impact does immigration policy have on investment in domestic skills and training by employers?
- To what extent, and over what time frames, can skills policy influence the scale of international recruitment by employers?
- Are there mechanisms the Home Office could use to incentivise domestic recruitment?
Addressing shortages
- To what extent should addressing labour shortages be prioritised in immigration policy?
- What evidence is available on the effectiveness of shortage lists as a mechanism for using the immigration system to respond to labour shortages?
- What rights and conditions should apply to visas for immigrants coming to work in occupations on the Temporary Shortage List?
- How important is immigration to responding to shortages in the public sector, and what role does immigration have in workforce planning in sectors such as health, education and justice?
Implementation
- What objectives should the Home Office seek to achieve when setting salary thresholds?
- What impact does changing rules on eligibility for work visas have on businesses, employers and workers?
- What improvements could be made to the work visa system to ensure that migrant workers are treated fairly, with dignity and respect?
Cross-government working
- How could the Home Office work more effectively with other government departments to develop a work migration system that achieves its aims – such as growing the economy and delivering essential services – while reducing net migration?
The Committee has advised that all evidence submitted must address the questions provided but doesn't have to cover all questions.
How and when to submit your evidence
You can submit your evidence online here. If you need help with submission, you can email the Home Affairs Committee at homaffcom@parliament.uk.
The deadline to submit evidence is 23:59 GMT on 27 October 2026.
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