The House of Commons Home Affairs Committee has formally launched an inquiry that could reshape every major work visa route to the United Kingdom. Announced on 20 October 2026, the inquiry invites evidence from employers, trade bodies, academics and civic organisations on questions ranging from salary thresholds and shortage-occupation lists to sponsorship compliance and incentives for training resident workers. Written submissions are due by 27 October, giving stakeholders just one week to influence the Committee’s first full review of labour migration since the Skilled Worker route replaced Tier 2 in 2020. Background papers show that MPs will examine how immigration policy interacts with skills policy, productivity and regional pay. Issues flagged for scrutiny include whether the £26,200 general salary threshold should rise in line with earnings, whether the new “Temporary Shortage List” is delivering genuine relief to sectors such as social care, and how to prevent abuse of routes such as Senior or Specialist Worker within the Global Business Mobility category. The Committee is also expected to revisit controversial questions about restricting dependants and capping total visas. For global mobility teams the inquiry is a critical opportunity—and a risk. Evidence that visa bureaucracy or unrealistic salary levels deter inward investment could push MPs to recommend streamlined sponsor licensing, faster processing and more responsive shortage lists. Equally, trade-union submissions could strengthen arguments to raise thresholds sharply or shorten maximum assignments, increasing cost and complexity for employers. Practical implications: businesses with sponsored staff should consider submitting concrete data on recruitment timelines, unfilled roles and regional pay differentials. Multinationals may wish to highlight how assignment-planning is affected by the six-year cap on Senior or Specialist Worker visas and by the cooling-off rule. Any recommendations will inform the next round of Immigration Rules changes—expected in Spring 2027—and could feed directly into Treasury forecasts of labour supply. Until those recommendations emerge, employers should continue to follow existing rules but prepare briefing packs for policy-makers. The Committee has signalled it will prioritise evidence that quantifies economic impact, so payroll data, vacancy rates and case studies of aborted projects will carry particular weight.
