Recommendation 14

The Home Office has not completed an evaluation of the use of Skilled Worker visas since 2022, which was too early to provide a full view of impacts and pre-dated the significant changes to the route in 2022 and 2024.30 As a result, it does not have a full understanding of how the 24 Home Office, Restoring Control over the Immigration System, May 2025 25 Q 17 26 Qq 9, 15 27 C&AG’s Report, para 8 28 Qq 5, 10 29 Q 16; C&AG’s Report, para 8 30 Q 8; C&AG’s Report, para 2.11 13 route is being used, its contribution to the economy or impact on skill shortages across different sectors and regions.31 The Home Office began an evaluation in 2024 looking at how salary thresholds are set, how changes to the route have worked and its collaboration with other government bodies. It told us this would be published later in 2025.32 The Immigration White Paper contained data on the use of the route across different occupations, but this focused on inflows and did not assess the impact of the route on different sectors, regions of the United Kingdom or the wider economy.33 The expansion of the Skilled Worker visa route to the social care sector