The UK government has released new research examining what happens to migrants who arrive through the Skilled Worker visa route. The report, published by the UK’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), provides one of the most detailed analyses yet of how long skilled migrants remain in Britain, which groups are most likely to settle permanently, and which workers are more likely to leave after a few years.
The findings matter because long-term migration has a direct impact on the UK labour market, public services, workforce planning, and future population growth. For employers, universities, healthcare providers, and policymakers, understanding who stays in the UK is increasingly important.
What the Report Examined
The study analysed administrative data from the Home Office, linking visa records, Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS), and Migrant Journey data to track migrants who entered the UK under:
- Tier 2 (General)
- Skilled Worker visas
- Health and Care Worker visas
Researchers focused on whether migrants still held a valid immigration status by the end of 2024. This included people who:
- Renewed their visas
- Obtained Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
- Became British citizens
- Or whose leave had expired, suggesting they likely left the UK
The dataset covered approximately 916,000 observations between 2014 and 2024, showing the rapid expansion of the Skilled Worker route in recent years.
Skilled Worker Migration Has Increased Rapidly
One of the clearest findings from the report is how dramatically the Skilled Worker route expanded after Brexit and post-pandemic reforms.
According to the data:
- Around 20,000–38,000 workers entered annually between 2014 and 2019
- Numbers surged after 2021
- Entries reached nearly 296,000 in 2023 alone
Several policy changes contributed to this increase, including:
- The replacement of Tier 2 with the Skilled Worker route in 2020
- Lower skill thresholds
- Removal of annual sponsorship caps
- Inclusion of EU citizens in the visa system
- Expansion of the Health and Care Worker visa in 2022 to include care workers and home carers
These reforms significantly widened employer access to overseas recruitment.
Many Skilled Workers Remain Long Term
The report found that a large share of migrants who arrived before 2020 had either:
- Secured ILR
- Become British citizens
- Or still held valid immigration permission by the end of 2024
This suggests that the Skilled Worker route increasingly functions not just as a temporary work programme, but also as a pathway to long-term settlement.
The MAC noted that stay rates are important because migrants who remain permanently contribute more substantially to:
- Population growth
- Housing demand
- Public service usage
- Long-term workforce retention
These effects are particularly significant in sectors such as healthcare and social care, where the UK has relied heavily on overseas recruitment in recent years.
Salary and Occupation Influence Stay Rates
The analysis also explored which factors affect whether migrants stay in the UK. Among the variables examined were:
- Salary levels
- Age
- Occupation
- Industry sector
- Visa route type
The report highlighted that migration outcomes vary considerably depending on the type of work migrants perform.
Interestingly, some higher-skilled professionals, including researchers and academic professionals, appeared more likely to leave the UK after a period of work. Meanwhile, workers in sectors with long-term labour shortages may be more likely to remain.
This has important implications for government policy because the economic and fiscal benefits of migration depend not only on how many people arrive, but also on:
- How long do they stay
- Whether they continue working
- Their earnings over time
Policy Changes Continue to Reshape the System
The report also outlines how UK immigration policy has evolved over the past decade. Key developments include:
2017 Immigration Skills Charge
Large employers became required to pay £1,000 per sponsored worker annually, while smaller organisations paid a reduced rate.
2020 Skilled Worker Reform
Tier 2 (General) was replaced with the new Skilled Worker route, introducing:
- Lower skill thresholds
- Removal of annual sponsorship limits
- Broader eligibility criteria
2022 Expansion of Health and Care Visas
Care workers and home carers became eligible under the Health and Care Worker route, dramatically increasing recruitment into the sector.
2024 Tightening Measures
The government introduced stricter controls, including:
- Raising the general salary threshold from £26,200 to £38,700
- Increasing occupation salary benchmarks
- Replacing the Shortage Occupation List with a narrower Immigration Salary List
- Restricting dependants for new social care workers
These changes were designed to reduce net migration while still allowing employers to recruit for critical shortages.
Why the Findings Matter
The MAC argues that understanding migrant stay rates is essential for future policymaking. Routes with higher long-term retention have greater effects on:
- Net migration
- Economic planning
- Labour market stability
- Public finances
- Integration outcomes
The findings may also influence future debates around:
- Salary thresholds
- Sector-specific visas
- Healthcare recruitment
- Settlement rules
- Population forecasting
For employers, the report highlights the growing importance of retention strategies, especially in sectors dependent on international recruitment.
Expert Opinion
We talked to Mr Umer Rasib, a Germany-based immigration expert, and he summed up the report as follows:
“The new MAC research shows that the skilled worker route has become one of the UK’s most significant long-term migration pathways. While many migrants still leave after temporary employment, a substantial proportion now remain in the UK permanently through settlement or citizenship.
As the government continues adjusting immigration policy to balance economic needs with political pressures over net migration, understanding who stays and why will become increasingly central to the future of the UK immigration system. The recently planned changes for settlement in the UK will largely decide the future of many on leave to remain. The ILR pathway that keeps them waiting for 10 years may force them to choose other countries, such as Australia or Canada. We will very soon come to know if these changes will be wholly or partially implemented. After 2 years, a new report like this might seem completely different”.