According to an Oxford-based academic, dog beauticians, DJs, cemetery managers, and pilates instructors are among the overseas worker categories eligible to apply for skilled worker visas in the UK. But what are the others?

As the UK government promised a white paper toward the end of this year to decrease the number of individuals entering the country to work, a list of specific and sometimes unusual “intermediate skilled” jobs that foreign workers can still apply for has been identified. An analysis of Home Office data for the three-year period up to March 2024, reported by The Guardian, shows that 334 visas were issued for “animal care service professions” including dog walkers, pet sitters, stable assistants, dog kennel assistants, and veterinary nursing assistants. During the same period, 167 skilled worker visas were granted to fitness and wellness instructors, including pilates and yoga teachers. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is launching a migration policy move amid a rise in polls for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. The list of occupations also includes “costumed interpreters” who greet visitors at museums and National Trust properties.

“NOT THE KIND OF THING MOST PEOPLE THINK OF”

Anomalies were uncovered by Robert McNeil, a researcher at the Oxford University Centre on Migration, Policy, and Society. McNeil stated, “These roles may be demanding and may require specific skills, but they may not be the kind of thing that most people think of when they imagine the critical roles employers in the UK would need to recruit from overseas.” After going through professions generally associated with visa applicants such as nursing, caregiving, public services, diplomatic centers, and banking, McNeil found over 300 designated jobs in the skilled worker visas list as “eligible occupations.” In a blog post released yesterday, McNeil highlighted that these jobs made it onto the list due to changes made following the UK’s exit from the EU.

NOT A PLUMBER OR BRICKLAYER McNeil noted, “As the government ended free movement, it also lowered the skills threshold to ensure intermediate skilled jobs are eligible for work visas. Previously, only graduate jobs were qualified under the system applied to non-EU citizens. When people think of these kinds of intermediate skilled jobs, they think of roles like plumbers, bricklayers, or engineering technicians. But in reality, defining what is intermediate skilled is not straightforward. Some results are surprising.”

CABIN CREW AND BAGGAGE CONTROL STAFF INCLUDED The list of “intermediate skilled” workers also includes air travel assistants, cabin crew, and personnel for baggage control at airports. In the year ending March 2024, 869 visas were granted for these roles. Cemetery managers, homeopaths, and cycling instructors are also on the list. Despite British ministers repeatedly stating they aim to reduce overall migration, they have pledged to tighten visa rules. Following revised official figures showing net migration to the UK reaching a record high of 906,000 in 2023, Prime Minister Starmer accused the Conservative government in November of conducting an “open borders experiment.”