UK Parliament Opens New Inquiry into Work-Based Immigration — Here's What It Will Actually Examine

The House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, chaired by Dame Karen Bradley, launched a new inquiry into work-based immigration on 15 September 2026. With the full call for evidence now published, it's clear this isn't a narrow review — it touches almost every major lever in the UK's Skilled Worker visa system, from salary thresholds to shortage lists to how dependents are treated.

The policy backdrop

The inquiry sits against the backdrop of the government's May 2025 immigration white paper, Restoring Control Over the Immigration System, in which the government committed to linking migration policy more tightly to skills policy and to reducing employers' reliance on recruiting from overseas. This Committee inquiry is, in effect, an early test of whether that commitment is translating into a coherent approach — and it does so through the lens of public input.

Where the inquiry comes from

The Committee commissioned a series of deliberative workshops in which members of the public worked through the real trade-offs involved in work migration policy and agreed on a set of guiding principles. The single principle that came out on top: government should prioritize training, upskilling, and employment opportunities for UK residents — particularly young people — before turning to migrant labour. The Committee has said it wants to see how this principle, and the others produced by the same process, can be built into immigration policy, with particular attention to how the Skilled Worker visa is administered.

What evidence the Committee is actually asking for

The call for evidence is organised into four areas, and it's considerably more granular than the initial announcement suggested:

1. Immigration policy, skills, and domestic recruitment - The Committee wants evidence on how immigration policy affects employer investment in training, whether the Home Office has tools it isn't currently using to encourage that investment, and how much influence skills policy can realistically have over the scale of international recruitment and over what timeframe. It also asks whether resident labour market tests actually work, and whether the government's approach should differ depending on how much training a given job requires.

   
   

2. How labour shortages should be addressed - This is one of the most consequential sections for employers and sponsors. The Committee is asking how far shortages should drive immigration policy at all; when, if ever, international recruitment should be used to fill lower-paid or lower-skill shortage roles; how well shortage lists and the Temporary Shortage List actually work as tools; and how long a sector should be allowed to rely on the Temporary Shortage List before something else has to change. It also raises the question of whether dependants should be permitted to accompany workers in Temporary Shortage List roles, and under what conditions — and whether essential-service roles, such as health, care, or prison staff, warrant different rules altogether.

   
   

3. Implementation — salary thresholds and fair treatment - The Committee wants views on what salary thresholds are actually meant to achieve, and whether the current approach achieves it. It's also asking a genuinely practical question for anyone already in the system: what would make the visa route treat migrant workers more fairly, with dignity and respect, and what support should exist for someone who loses their job in the UK through no fault of their own.

   
   

4. Cross-government coordination - Finally, the Committee is examining how well the Home Office works with other departments to balance economic growth and public-service delivery against the goal of reducing net migration, including how effective the Labour Market Evidence Group has been and how the government currently measures the economic and fiscal impact of work migration.

A note for individual migrants and workers

This is worth flagging directly for our readers: the Committee has stated that written submissions based on personal experiences of the work migration system will not usually be published as formal evidence. The inquiry has already drawn on public engagement through the deliberative workshops, and the Committee says further public engagement work is planned as the inquiry continues. In practice, this means the formal written-evidence process is aimed primarily at academics, researchers, and organizations with expertise in labour migration and workforce and skills policy — individuals with a personal story are more likely to have their voice heard through the Committee's separate public-engagement activity than through a written submission.

Why this matters

Because the terms of reference explicitly cover salary thresholds, the Temporary Shortage List, dependent rights, and sector-specific rules, the outcome of this inquiry could shape how the Skilled Worker route actually operates in practice — not just its stated policy goals. Employers, sponsors, and immigration advisers with direct evidence on any of these four areas have a genuine opportunity to influence that outcome.

How to take part

Written evidence is open until 11:59 PM on 27 October 2026. Organizations and experts with relevant evidence should prepare a submission addressing the specific questions above, submitted directly through the Committee's page.

This article is based on information procured from official sources and public portals. It is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Kindly consult the relevant public authority or an immigration advisor at the Legit Migrant for guidance specific to your circumstances.