The House of Commons Public Bill Committee has opened a six-week window for written submissions on the Immigration and Asylum Bill, with a notice published on 15 July 2026. The legislation, introduced on 30 June and granted second reading on 13 July, proposes an Independent Immigration Appeals Authority, tighter Article 8 thresholds, consolidation of asylum protections into a single ‘core protection’ status and a mechanism to claw back financial contributions from refugees once in work. For employers, a headline measure is the power for the new authority to issue binding compliance notices and civil penalties where sponsor-licence holders facilitate overstaying. The Bill also clarifies that modern-slavery safeguards cannot be invoked by foreign criminals sentenced to more than 12 months, reflecting recent Home Office exclusions in the Immigration Rules. Businesses with global mobility programmes should consider responding to the call for evidence, particularly on the practicalities of appeals reform and the risk that reduced human-rights grounds could deter high-value migrants seeking family stability. Written submissions should be e-mailed to the Scrutiny Unit as early as possible; the Committee may close evidence before its formal 10 September start date if sessions conclude swiftly. If enacted in its current form, the Bill would trigger consequential rule changes across the Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility and Student routes in 2027. Mobility teams should budget for sponsor‐compliance uplift and review handbooks to reflect the proposed contribution payments from protected persons moving into employment.
Source: UK Parliament News
