BIRMINGHAM, England

Just 17% of non-EU citizens who moved to the United Kingdom since Brexit were main applicants on work visas, according to a study released Wednesday by the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford.

The remaining migrants arrived through family, study, or refugee routes, most of which allow people to work without being tied to a specific job or skill level.

“The government wants to link immigration and skills more closely, but it’s not as simple as it sounds,” said Ben Brindle, a researcher at the Migration Observatory.

The report highlights a major gap in the government’s plan. While ministers are tightening rules for “middle-skilled” jobs such as technicians and builders, these rules do not apply to the thousands of migrants already in the UK under other visas.

Training more domestic workers also may not automatically reduce reliance on foreign labor, researchers found. In many sectors facing shortages, low pay and challenging working conditions, rather than a lack of skills, are the main reasons positions remain unfilled.

Under new rules starting in 2026, companies in certain industries must submit a “workforce plan” to train local employees before hiring from abroad. The report warns that these requirements will be difficult to monitor and may not significantly change how the UK labor market functions.

The analysis underscores the complexity of linking migration policy to labor shortages, particularly at a time when policymakers face pressure to reduce migration while businesses continue to rely on foreign workers to fill essential roles.