Government publishes final impact assessment for landmark Immigration and Asylum Bill

LexisNexis legal news reports that the Home Office has released its long-awaited final impact assessment for the Immigration and Asylum Bill now before Parliament. The 120-page document details projected costs, savings and operational changes arising from the creation of an Independent Immigration Appeals Authority (IIAA), tighter Article 8 (family life) thresholds, recovery of asylum-support costs from claimants, and consolidation of humanitarian protections into a single concept of “core protection”. Officials estimate that setting up the IIAA will require £68 million in start-up funding but save £42 million annually by streamlining appeals. The assessment also flags one-off IT spend of £24 million to integrate the new tribunal authority with the existing HM Courts & Tribunals e-filing system. For employers, key take-aways include confirmation that sponsor-licence compliance appeals will migrate to the IIAA, potentially shortening resolution times, and that the Bill’s modern-slavery reforms will allow recognised victims on Skilled Worker visas to change sponsor without a fresh CoS or Immigration Skills Charge. The Home Office projects a 4 % reduction in sponsor-licence renewal income once those exemptions apply. Royal Assent is expected in early 2027, so global-mobility teams should map internal processes around audit preparation, employee communication and future right-to-work evidence in light of the forthcoming tribunal regime. Early engagement with legal counsel is advisable to understand transitional provisions once secondary legislation sets commencement dates.