TO BE PUBLISHED September 2026
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This conference will examine the impact of emerging immigration policy on the UK employment market, focusing on implications for labour supply, recruitment, workforce planning and employer compliance as the framework for immigration reform develops.
It will bring together key stakeholders and policymakers to discuss implications of reform outlined in the 2025 Immigration White Paper, alongside proposals expected through the forthcoming Immigration and Asylum Bill as employers, advisers, workforce bodies and affected sectors assess what changing policy could mean in practice.
Areas for discussion include visa and settlement reform, international talent recruitment, domestic workforce skills, sector-specific pressures, and the role of labour market evidence in informing future policy.
Impact of visa and settlement reform on labour supply and workforce planning
Delegates will discuss the forthcoming conclusions of the Migration Advisory Committee’s 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 proposed in the Immigration White Paper. We expect this to include implications for organisational capacity, recruitment and retention strategies, workforce planning, and approaches to balancing rising costs and compliance requirements - particularly for SMEs and organisations with greater dependence on migrant workers.
Expectations for organisations sponsoring workers or students will also be examined, including proposals in the Immigration White Paper relating to financial measures, penalties and sanctions intended to strengthen compliance. Attendees will consider implementation challenges, proportionality, and areas where aspects of reform could create legal uncertainty or operational complexity for employers and institutions.
Graduate recruitment and sectoral implications of emerging reforms
Changes to the length of graduate visas will be assessed, including implications for employer recruitment timelines, transition onto Skilled Worker routes, and strategies for retaining international graduates in the UK workforce. Delegates will also consider the newly introduced International Student Levy, including potential implications for international student recruitment, university finances, and longer-term talent pipelines.
Sectoral effects of higher salary and skills thresholds will also be discussed, including how a reformed Temporary Shortage List could most effectively provide sufficient flexibility for medium-skilled recruitment needs.
Looking particularly at exposed sectors such as health, social care, hospitality and construction, attendees will assess implications for productivity, workforce resilience, administrative burdens and staffing models, alongside wider concerns relating to labour shortages, retention pressures and access to talent.
International talent recruitment and UK competitiveness
Further sessions will assess how immigration policy may affect the UK’s ability to attract international talent, with the MAC’s review of global talent routes expected to inform wider discussion. Delegates will consider whether the current framework is aligned with labour market requirements, including for high-growth and innovation-led sectors, alongside practical questions around route design, employer awareness and sponsorship requirements.
Discussion will also examine the role of the Global Talent Taskforce, implications of recent liberalisation of talent-focused visa routes, and priorities for aligning international recruitment policy with wider economic and industrial objectives.
Domestic workforce skills and employer priorities
Attendees will consider implications of policy intentions to strengthen domestic workforce skills, in the context of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, recent increases in the Immigration Skills Charge, and wider discussion around reducing long-term reliance on international recruitment in some sectors.
Discussion will examine approaches to workforce training, reskilling and employer engagement, including alignment between employer demand, regional and sectoral skills needs, and education and training provision. Areas also include how organisations can demonstrate investment in workforce development, and what effective coordination between employers, skills providers and HEIs may require in practice.
Digital identity, right to work compliance and implementation
The role of the digital ID system - including Digital Right to Work Checks as set out in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 and the forthcoming Digital Access to Services Bill - will also be assessed, including implications for recruitment processes, access to work, and employer data handling responsibilities.
With new duties expected to commence from October 2026, delegates will examine expectations following the Home Office’s consultation on the draft Code of practice on preventing illegal working, including practical implementation, operational readiness, legal compliance, and approaches to avoiding unlawful discrimination while meeting right to work obligations.
Future policy direction
Looking ahead, the conference will also consider priorities for the Labour Market Evidence Group in contributing to the development of evidence on skills shortages and workforce needs to inform future policy. Delegates will discuss wider questions around labour market forecasting, migration measurement, and how evolving evidence frameworks may affect employer planning and longer-term immigration policy development.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Department for the Economy, NI; Isle of Man Government; Home Office; and The Scottish Government.
