Morning, Monday, 14th September 2026
Online
This conference will examine the impact of recent and emerging immigration policy on the UK employment market.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to assess how reform set out in the 2025 Immigration White Paper to reduce net migration could affect labour supply, recruitment, and workforce planning. Areas for discussion include implications of visa and settlement reform, priorities for international talent recruitment, expectations for domestic workforce upskilling, and the role of migration and labour market evidence in shaping policy.
Discussion is expected on the forthcoming conclusions of the Migration Advisory Committee Temporary Shortage List Review, the potential introduction of a new Earned Settlement model, and practical implications of reform to Skilled Worker and other visa routes, including sectoral effects of higher salary and skills thresholds, and whether a reformed Temporary Shortage List could meet employer requirements for medium-skilled roles. Delegates will also consider implications of possible reform to settlement pathways for employer costs, workforce support, retention and recruitment.
Further planned sessions will also explore how immigration policy can support the UK’s ability to attract international talent, in the context of the MAC Attracting Talent to the UK review, recent liberalisation of talent-focused immigration visa routes and the continued work of the Global Talent Taskforce. Attendees will assess whether the current system supports labour market global talent requirements, how understanding of different talent routes can be improved among employers, and options for aligning talent recruitment with Industrial Strategy needs.
The agenda will consider implications for employers of policy intentions to strengthen domestic workforce skills, in the context of the Post-16 Employment and Skills White Paper, its focus on reducing reliance on employment of migrants, and the recent increase in the Immigration Skills Charge.
Further planned sessions will examine how employers can demonstrate commitment to domestic skills and workforce training, and how the Labour Market Evidence Group can build an evidence base on key skills shortages to inform employer-led domestic workforce planning. Delegates will also discuss whether improvements to migration data could inform future policy and workforce planning through a clearer understanding of the impact of migration on the labour market.
Overall areas for discussion include:
- immigration policy:
- workforce migration trends by sector
- employer adaptation to an increasingly compliance-based system - potential next steps for policy
- Skilled Worker visa reform:
- sectoral impact of changes to the Skilled Worker route - employer recruitment strategies following revised skill levels and salary thresholds
- implications for employer sponsorship of medium-skilled roles following the MAC review of the Temporary Shortage List
- wider visa reform:
- impact of fee increases for employer sponsors - restrictions on Health and Care Worker Visas for social care
- implications for graduate recruitment of reductions in the length of the Graduate Visa - reform outlined in the Statement of Changes published in March 2026
- earned settlement:
- potential policy changes on settlement pathways - cost and administrative implications for employers
- workforce planning and staff support for language requirements and community participation
- recruiting top talent:
- priorities for the MAC review of top talent immigration policy - possible further reform to the Global Talent and Innovator Founder visa routes
- assessing work of the Global Talent Taskforce - assessing whether wider migration reduction measures risk weakening recruitment of top talent
- domestic recruitment and training:
- employer support for domestic upskilling - use of Immigration Skills Charge funds for UK workforce training
- cost implications for business of charging increases - work of the Labour Market Evidence Group on building an evidence base for key skills shortages
- data:
- strengthening the evidence base on the labour market impacts of migration
- using data to support policy credibility - building trust with businesses
