Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 32
37th Report - Immigration: Skilled worker visas
Published 4 Jul 2025
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Immigration: Skilled worker visas All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
We asked the Home Office whether it knows if people leave the country when their visa expires. The Home Office told us the only way that it can tell if people are still in the country is to match the data it holds on individuals with the passenger data it receives on people using airlines.88 The Home Office has not analysed exit checks since the route was introduced and does not know what proportion of people return to their home country after their visa has expired, and how many may be working illegally in the United Kingdom.89 The Home Office was also unable to say how effectively regional ‘hubs’, which match individuals working in the care sector whose employers have lost their sponsor licence with a new sponsor, were working to facilitate visa holders finding new employment.90 The Home Office said there was scope to strengthen exit checks as part of its wider digital transformation of border security systems and introduction of eVisas. The Home Office acknowledged that this problem was not solved and said that it seeks to tackle illegal working by requiring employers to carry out 81 Q 62; IMM0004 82 Qq 62-63 83 Qq 35-39, 54; C&AG’s report, para 3.20 84 Qq 36-38, 70 85 Qq 35, 54 86 Qq 34-35 87 Qq 40-42, 51-52; C&AG’s Report, para 3.19 88 Qq 46-48 89 Qq 50-51; C&AG’s report, para 2.14 90 Q 60 21 ‘right to work’ checks, working with other bodies which have a role, such as HMRC and local authorities, and using its immigration enforcement services to visit illegal workplaces on an intelligence-led basis.91 91 Qq 49-51 22 4 Customer service Providing a good customer service
From: Public Accounts Committee, 37th Report - Immigration: Skilled worker visas (HC 819), 4 July 2025
Government response
Latest Treasury Minutes progress report to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Thirty-seventh Report of Session 2024-26
The government responded to the whole report on 4 June 2026 (deadline 4 September 2025).
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Thirty-seventh report from Session 2024-26
Published 15 October 2025.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government agrees with the Committee's recommendations on labour market evidence, evaluation, care workers, exploitation and compliance, but disagrees with the recommendation on customer service.
- On sector workforce analysis, it agrees that other departments should provide more rigorous analysis, with a target implementation date of July 2026, and says the Labour Market Evidence Group "will further strengthen collaboration" between the Home Office and departments leading on labour market and skills.
- It agrees to set out its evaluation of the Skilled Worker route, with a target date of October 2025, stating that the evaluation was published alongside the Immigration White Paper on 12 May.
- On exploitation, it agrees with the recommendation (target date April 2027) and says an update to the Committee is planned for April 2027, "one year after its creation" of the Fair Work Agency.
- It disagrees with the customer service recommendation, stating the Home Office "is committed to continuous improvement in customer service standards" and that it monitors key indicators.