Law firm Clarkslegal’s 11 June commentary dissects a fresh Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report, ‘Who Stays, Who Leaves?’, which tracked 916,000 Tier 2/Skilled Worker entrants between 2014–2024. Using linked Home Office datasets, the MAC found that five-year ‘stay rates’ have risen from 74 % for the 2014 cohort to 85 % for arrivals in 2019. Younger migrants and those in health, IT and engineering showed the highest retention. For employers the findings counter claims that sponsored staff view the UK as a short-term stepping stone. Higher stay rates may strengthen the Home Office’s argument for stricter paths to settlement (consultations are under way) but also give businesses comfort that sponsor-licence costs yield longer-term returns. The study notes that changes such as the Global Talent route and rising salary thresholds appear not to have deterred long-term settlement intentions. However, retention falls once workers obtain ILR: only 62 % are still in the same occupation three years after settlement, underscoring the need for career-progression strategies. Mobility leaders should use the data to shape ROI calculations, advocate for relocation budgets and anticipate possible policy tweaks – the MAC hints that settlement reform may target sectors with lower retention to discourage ‘citizenship by the back door’.
Source: Clarkslegal LLP
