The House of Commons Home Affairs Committee used a special evidence session this afternoon to probe the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) on the effectiveness of the government’s new immigration-control package. MAC chair Professor Brian Bell confirmed provisional 2024 net-migration figures had fallen to 431,000—almost half the 2023 peak—but warned that headline totals mask acute sectoral shortages, particularly in social care, construction and advanced manufacturing.
Committee members pressed the MAC on whether the 8,000-cap HPI visa and higher English-language standards risk choking off urgently needed graduate-level talent. Bell acknowledged that the changes could deter some applicants but argued that quality-of-migrant metrics—skills, wages and integration prospects—“matter more than simple volumetrics.” He reiterated the MAC’s recommendation to create more targeted shortage-occupation pathways rather than blanket caps.
![Migration Advisory Committee Grilled by MPs Over Net-Migration Drop and Skill Shortages]()
MPs also queried the feasibility of the government’s plan to extend the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain from five to ten years. Deputy chair Dr Madeleine Sumption cautioned that lengthier settlement routes historically increase churn, as skilled workers weigh relocation offers from Canada, Germany and Australia.
The session underscored Parliament’s heightened scrutiny of the new mobility framework just as today’s HPI reforms went live. Employers following the hearing took note of Bell’s call for “evidence-rich submissions” when the MAC reopens consultation on the Temporary Shortage List early next year.
A written transcript will be published later this week, but HR teams tracking real-time developments say the exchange offers valuable insight into how policymakers may tweak caps, fees and language rules if labour-market pressures persist.
Committee members pressed the MAC on whether the 8,000-cap HPI visa and higher English-language standards risk choking off urgently needed graduate-level talent. Bell acknowledged that the changes could deter some applicants but argued that quality-of-migrant metrics—skills, wages and integration prospects—“matter more than simple volumetrics.” He reiterated the MAC’s recommendation to create more targeted shortage-occupation pathways rather than blanket caps.
MPs also queried the feasibility of the government’s plan to extend the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain from five to ten years. Deputy chair Dr Madeleine Sumption cautioned that lengthier settlement routes historically increase churn, as skilled workers weigh relocation offers from Canada, Germany and Australia.
The session underscored Parliament’s heightened scrutiny of the new mobility framework just as today’s HPI reforms went live. Employers following the hearing took note of Bell’s call for “evidence-rich submissions” when the MAC reopens consultation on the Temporary Shortage List early next year.
A written transcript will be published later this week, but HR teams tracking real-time developments say the exchange offers valuable insight into how policymakers may tweak caps, fees and language rules if labour-market pressures persist.
