The UK’s Home Secretary requested the Migration Advisory Committee for a review of Information Technology and engineering occupational groupings. The review aims to comprehend the excessive reliance of employers in certain sectors on international recruitment to address skills gaps within their businesses.

Essentially, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is tasked to examine the reasons behind the country’s reliance on international recruitment in the Information Technology and Telecommunications sector.

Information Technology (IT) and Telecommunications Professionals and Engineering Professionals are the largest users of work visas and therefore they have been identified as the occupational groups for this review.

These sectors feature in the top 10 of those sectors that have been reliant on international recruitment and the government would like the MAC to set out the reasons behind this and the potential future demand on these sectors.

The current high levels of international recruitment reflect weaknesses in the labour market including persistent skills shortages in the UK. The UK government is committed to reducing migration, and the Home Secretary has requested the MAC to produce an evidence-led report by May 2025.

The UK government has implemented stricter visa policies since January 2024, marking a significant shift in its approach to managing net migration.

The rise in the minimum salary requirement for the Skilled Worker visa from £26,200 to £38,700 in April 2024 poses a significant challenge for Indian graduates seeking post-graduation employment in the UK.

British media reports reveal that visa applications for chefs have outpaced those for computer programmers.