The House of Commons has released the latest Notice of Amendments for the Immigration and Asylum Bill, dated 12 October 2026, setting the agenda for the Public Bill Committee that begins tomorrow. The 45-page paper consolidates government and opposition proposals, including clauses on accelerated asylum appeals, mandatory contribution payments from supported asylum seekers and new powers for the Home Secretary to impose visa ‘brakes’ on specific nationalities. Of particular interest to employers is Amendment 42, tabled by back-bench MPs, which would require the Home Office to publish an annual impact assessment on how changes to skilled-worker salary thresholds affect labour shortages. While unlikely to pass in its current form, the proposal signals growing parliamentary focus on the intersection between immigration control and workforce planning. Another government-sponsored insertion would allow ministers to designate “priority industry short-stay schemes” enabling foreign technicians to undertake emergency maintenance in the UK for up to 14 days without sponsorship, provided security checks are cleared in advance. Sectors lobbying for the carve-out include aviation and high-tech manufacturing. The amendment paper also contains civil-liberties proposals: opposition MPs want judicial oversight of any decision to curtail leave where an individual fails to pay the new accommodation levy, while the SNP continues to press for the bill to include safe-and-legal humanitarian corridors. With more than 150 amendments scheduled for debate, mobility professionals should track which survive committee stage; several have direct implications for sponsorship duties, right-to-work compliance and future visa costs.
Source: UK Parliament
