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Letter to the Home Secretary on the MAC's review into talent routes (accessible)

Published 27 February 2026

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Migration Advisory Committee
2nd Floor Peel Building NE
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

enquiries@mac.gov.uk

27/02/2026

Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP
Home Secretary
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Dear Home Secretary,

I am writing on behalf of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to inform you that we are launching a review into assessing how best the immigration system could be used to attract top talent to the UK.

Attracting international global talent is a key government priority as set out in the Immigration White Paper and the Chancellor’s commitments at Davos 2026. It impacts the labour market and economic growth, and there are a number of talent related immigration routes, including the Global Talent Visa. Alongside this, we acknowledge the government’s broader commitment to bringing down net migration. We are committing to this review under the terms of the Framework Agreement between the Home Office and the MAC where we are able, alongside commissioned work from the government, to engage in work of our own choosing and to comment on the operation of any aspect of the immigration system.

Our review will cover, but not be limited to, the following:

  • How well the UK’s immigration system allows the highly talented to come to the UK, through both routes specifically aimed at internationally talented individuals, and more widely;
  • How effectively routes aimed at talent interact with each other and interact with other immigration routes e.g. Skilled Worker;
  • What talented migrants do when they get to the UK, and what economic and wider value they provide;
  • Policy design: including what constitutes global talent and the endorsement body model.

To conduct the review, we would be grateful for the co-operation of government and Home Office colleagues to swiftly provide us with data.

We intend to complete our review in the winter of this year. This timescale is intended to allow time for sufficient stakeholder engagement to inform any conclusions. As outlined in the Framework Document, we will ensure that this inquiry does not impede the delivery of other work commissioned by Home Office ministers.

We look forward to continuing to provide the Government with independent analysis and evidence-based advice.

On behalf of the Migration Advisory Committee,

Yours sincerely,
Professor Brian Bell
Chair, Migration Advisory Committee

Cc:

Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer

Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP, Secretary of State for Business and Trade

Rt Hon Liz Kendall MP, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

Mike Tapp MP, Minister for Migration and Citizenship

Alex Norris MP, Minister for Border Security and Asylum

Simon Ridley, Acting Permanent Secretary

Daniel Hobbs, Director General, Migration and Borders

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