Migration Advisory Panel Review Finds No Major Immigration Issues in IT and Engineering Recruitment

LONDON May 30: The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has concluded there are no significant immigration-related issues requiring urgent action in its newly published review of how UK firms recruit international talent in the information technology (IT) and engineering sectors.

Commissioned by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in August 2024, the review was prompted by concerns about possible overreliance on overseas hiring. The MAC was tasked with evaluating the extent of international recruitment in these sectors and assessing the contribution of migrant workers to the UK labour market.

Key Findings:
The MAC finds that while IT and engineering are among the most active users of the immigration system, their reliance on international recruitment is proportionate and justified by real labour market demand. Most new hires in both sectors still come from the resident UK workforce.

Engineering roles show immigration usage consistent with other graduate-level occupations.

IT roles demonstrate higher usage of the immigration system but remain compliant with Immigration Rules and largely reflect skills shortages and a need to access top global talent.

“From an immigration perspective, we have not found major problems to be fixed,” the MAC writes in its cover letter to the Home Secretary.

In addition, the report highlights the strong net fiscal contribution of migrant workers in both sectors, citing higher-than-average wages and lower dependency on public services.

No Formal Recommendations — But Strategic Observations
While the MAC makes no formal recommendations, it offers several strategic observations to guide future immigration and skills policy. These include:

Support for abolishing the Immigration Salary List (ISL) under the Skilled Worker route.

Encouragement for a broader review of salary thresholds and associated discounts, as proposed in the Government’s recent Immigration White Paper.

A call to expand the scope of future reviews to include technical roles below graduate level, which are vital to the skills pipeline for both sectors.

The report also stresses that boosting domestic skills alone will not necessarily reduce migration. Instead, it recommends a coordinated approach—aligning immigration policy with long-term investment in education and vocational training.

The findings underline that immigration continues to serve as a vital “safety valve” in addressing dynamic labour market needs and that any changes to the system should be evidence-based and sector-specific.

“As we await the government’s next steps following the recent white paper, employers should monitor developments closely,” the expert noted. “Changes could have a significant impact on their ability to recruit top global talent.”

You can download the 101-page PDF report here or read it online here.