'Deeply concerning' | Immigration compliance 'outsourced to HR' amid visa system flaws, lawyer warns

The Government has failed to gather “basic information” about what happens to people after their UK work visas expire, a committee of MPs has warned.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the Home Office lacks data on whether workers leave the country once their visas run out and has not analysed exit checks since the Skilled Worker route was launched in 2020. Over 1.18 million people, including around 630,000 dependants, applied through the route between December 2020 and the end of 2024.

An immigration expert told HR Grapevine the system is now “structurally flawed” and accused the Government of “outsourcing responsibility to employers, landlords and even banks”.

The PAC, which scrutinises the value for money of public spending, also raised serious concerns about the risk of worker exploitation, particularly following a 2022 expansion of the scheme aimed at plugging staff shortages in the social care sector.