August 2025 Migration Advisory Committee meeting minutes
Updated 11 December 2025
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Migration Advisory Committee
2nd Floor, Peel Building NE
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
190th MEETING OF MIGRATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE: MINUTES
Friday 15th August 2025, 10:00 – 12:30
Virtual conference
Attending
Professor Brian Bell Professor Dina Kiwan Professor Sergi Pardos-Prado Dr Madeleine Sumption Professor Jo Swaffield Home Office representative Holly White MAC Secretariat
Agenda Item 1 – Welcome and introductions
Brian Bell opened the meeting and welcomed the attendees.
Agenda Item 2 – Industrial Strategy overview
Colleagues from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) gave the Committee an overview of their work in the Industrial Strategy Unit and outlined how the Industrial Strategy is supporting the growth mission to increase business investment in the UK economy. Skills shortages in the UK were highlighted and various approaches to addressing this issue were discussed.
Brian Bell thanked DBT colleagues for their input, and a short series of Q&A followed providing the Committee with further clarification on the work the Industrial Strategy Unit is undertaking.
DBT colleagues left the meeting.
Agenda item 3 – Home Office, MAC Secretariat and MAC updates
A representative from the Home Office gave an update on progress with implementing various commitments resulting from the Immigration White Paper.
Holly White gave an up update on progress with the establishment of the Labour Market Evidence Group (LMEG) including the Terms of Reference and workplan for the first year being agreed by the group.
Agenda item 4 – LMEG update
A member of the Secretariat gave Committee further details on LMEG and how it will work, including feeding into the MAC’s current commissions.
Agenda item 5 – Salaries review: evidence pack
A member of the Secretariat gave an overview of the evidence collected to date. The Committee were invited to comment on the analysis presented. They discussed the data needed for addressing changes in salary thresholds, PhD discount policy, new entrant discounts, regional variations, and the fiscal break-even point.
Agenda item 6 – Temporary Shortage List (TSL) review: policy design
A member of the Secretariat invited comment from the Committee on draft recommendations on how the TSL visa route could operate. A structure for ongoing monitoring and review of the route was also proposed
The Committee discussed issues including alternative visa durations, data challenges, operational considerations, and review cycles.
Agenda Item 7 – AOB
A member of the Secretariat outlined the Call for Evidence (CfE) plans for Stage 2 of the TSL review. This covered the purpose and structure of the CfE, timelines, and options for engagement and specifically what work would be undertaken with employers and representative bodies.