The Migration Advisory Committee has told the Home Secretary it is reviewing talent routes, including the Global Talent visa, in a letter published on 27 February 2026, with completion planned for winter 2026.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has launched a self-commissioned review of how the immigration system could best be used to attract top talent to the UK. The chair, Professor Brian Bell, set this out in a letter to the Home Secretary dated 27 February 2026 and published the same day.
The letter says 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 also says the MAC acknowledges the government's broader commitment to bringing down net migration. The MAC says it is carrying out the review under the Framework Agreement between the Home Office and the MAC, which allows it to do work of its own choosing alongside work commissioned by government.
The review will cover, but not be limited to:
- how well the immigration system allows highly talented people to come to the UK, through routes aimed specifically at internationally talented individuals and more widely;
- how effectively talent routes interact with each other and with other routes, such as Skilled Worker;
- what talented migrants do after arriving in the UK, and the economic and wider value they provide;
- policy design, including what constitutes global talent and the endorsement body model.
The MAC asks government and Home Office colleagues to provide data swiftly. It intends to complete the review in the winter of this year, a timescale it says allows sufficient stakeholder engagement to inform any conclusions. It also says the inquiry will not impede other work commissioned by Home Office ministers.
The letter names the Global Talent visa as one of a number of talent-related routes.
What this means for applicants
The letter launches a review and does not set out any change to a route, fee, rule or process. The MAC says it intends to complete the review in the winter of this year. The letter refers to stakeholder engagement but does not give details of how to take part.
Related guide
Sources
- Attracting talent to the UK: MAC self-commissioning letter, GOV.UK, published 27 February 2026