The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has today launched a consultation on the annual limit of the number of non-EU migrants admitted to work in the UK through Tiers 1 and 2 of the points based system.

The government has asked the MAC, as an independent expert body on migration, to provide advice on the level of the permanent economic migration limit for its first full year of operation. The permanent limit is intended to be implemented from April 2011.

As well as the economic impacts, the MAC will take into account the social and public service impacts of immigration on the UK.

The consultation will be open for submissions until 7 September 2010, and the MAC advice will be presented to the government by the end of that month. A paper setting out the consultation questions and procedures for submitting evidence has been published today.

The Chair of the Migration Advisory Committee, Professor David Metcalf, said:

‘The Migration Advisory Committee is pleased that it has been asked to carry out this work and looks forward to working with its partners to develop robust and well-informed advice to the government.’