The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford has published a briefing by Ben Brindle and Madeleine Sumption examining work visas and migrant workers in the UK. The briefing finds that work visa grants have fallen to pre-Brexit levels following policy changes in 2024 and 2025. It examines changes in the occupations and nationalities of migrant workers, exploitation risks, international students’ transitions into work and the proportion of work migrants remaining long term.

The Migration Observatory has published a briefing summarising research on the fiscal impact of immigration in the UK. The briefing explains that migrants’ effects on public finances depend on factors such as age, skills, earnings, employment status and household composition, and that fiscal impacts differ substantially by immigration route. It also emphasises that there is no single “correct” estimate of migrants’ fiscal impact, as studies rely on different assumptions. The briefing notes that pre-Brexit studies generally found the overall fiscal impact of migration to be less than 1% of GDP, while Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts have typically estimated that higher net migration reduces deficits and debt in the short to medium term, largely because migrants are more likely to be of working age.

The Migration Observatory has published a briefing examining international students in the UK, including visa grants, dependant numbers, enrolment patterns, post-study stay, settlement and economic impact. It states that around 407,000 student visas were issued in 2025, 16% below the 2022 peak but still substantially above 2010s levels, while dependant visas fell sharply following the 2024 restrictions. The briefing notes that international students comprised around 24% of UK university students in 2024/25, with India and China each accounting for 23% of new international students.

The Migration Observatory has published a briefing on migration and crime in the UK, noting that research on migration's impact on crime rates is limited. Studies using data from the 2000s and 2010s generally found no measurable impact on violent or property crime rates on average, although one study found that a one percentage point increase in the share of asylum seekers in a local population was associated with a 1.1% increase in property crime. The briefing emphasises that most offences never lead to a conviction, meaning actual offending rates among different population groups are unknown.

The Migration Observatory has published a briefing on unauthorised migration to the UK, covering recent trends and developments, and the government’s relevant policies. It looks at how a person can become an unauthorised migrant, the recent significant increase in unauthorised arrivals to the UK (primarily via small boats crossing the English Channel), the position on refused asylum seekers and overstayers, legal returns, (non-)access to jobs, housing and public funds, and regularisation.  Between 2018 and September 2024, approximately 175,000 unauthorised arrivals were recorded, with 78% using the small boats route. The majority of these arrivals (94%) subsequently applied for asylum, 70% were granted protection. The report also highlights a decline in returns of unauthorised migrants, though numbers have partially recovered in recent years. Despite strict ‘hostile environment’ policies limiting access to jobs, housing, benefits, and public services for unauthorised migrants, their effectiveness remains unclear. The Observatory notes significant data gaps, including a lack of recent statistics on visa overstayers and regularisation of unauthorised migrants, impeding a comprehensive understanding of the UK's irregular migration landscape.

The Migration Observatory has published a briefing report on the labour market effects of immigration. The report examines the impact of immigration on the UK labour market, with particular focus on employment, wages and the relationship between migrants and UK-born workers.

The Migration Observatory has published commentaries on partner visas, work sponsors, and international students entering the labour market, and has also published a briefing on migrants in the labour market. Its commentary on the new income requirement for partner visas highlights that the new income threshold may lead to family separation and longer settlement routes and that income thresholds affect low earners more, including women and young people, and additionally states that this requirement is stricter than policies in other countries. The commentary on licenced visa sponsors analyses data from March 2014 to December 2023 regarding the number of sponsors, how sponsors have changed over time and the types of employers who are more likely to be sponsors. Its commentary on international students entering the labour market highlights that recent cohorts of international students are more likely to switch to work visas than in the past. The briefing on migrants in the labour market provides data on migrants' labour market integration and the jobs migrants have, including details on migrant employment rates, earnings and contract types.

The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford published a commentary assessing Labour’s progress on six migration pledges after nearly two years in government.

The Migration Observatory has published commentary examining the increasing movement of international students into the UK labour market after completing their studies. It finds that recent student cohorts have been more likely than pre-Brexit cohorts to switch into work routes, including the Skilled Worker route, although switching rates have fallen following recent restrictions. Care work has been a particularly significant destination, raising questions about overqualification, the risk of worker exploitation and the sector’s reliance on former students.

The Migration Observatory has published a commentary on the effect of the recent ban on the ability for care workers to bring their partners or children with them to the UK. The ban, which came into effect from 11 March 2024 is part of a number of measures aimed at reducing migration.

The Migration Observatory at Oxford University published a comprehensive commentary on examining immigration patterns in Scotland and Wales ahead of the devolved elections. The analysis reveals that immigration ranks as the fourth most important political priority for Scottish voters and third for Welsh voters.

The Migration Observatory has published an immigration policy tracker, comparing the positions of the Conservative Party and the Labour Party ahead of the general election on 4 July 2024. It will continue to update this as more information becomes available. The tracker compares the policies of both parties on the areas of asylum and migration enforcement (including small boats, the Rwanda policy and the asylum backlog) and legal migration (including net migration levels, work migration, student migration and the graduate immigration route, family income threshold, immigration fees, Youth Mobility Scheme visas and exploitation of migration care workers).