DJs are considered “skilled workers” and are among the categories of foreign workers eligible to apply for UK skilled worker visas under the country’s post-Brexit visa rules.
According to The Guardian, the list also includes hairdressers, dog walkers, Pilates instructors, and even “costume interpreters.”
The data was uncovered by University of Oxford researcher Robert McNeil, who told The Guardian that while these professions “might not be the first that come to mind when people think of key roles UK employers need to fill with overseas workers,” they are “challenging and require particular skills.”
In a blog post, McNeil explained that the reason “middle-skilled” jobs have been included on the list is that the Home Office lowered the criteria required to apply for a skilled worker visa after the UK’s departure from the EU.
“When people think of such middle-skilled jobs, they tend to imagine roles like plumbers, bricklayers, or engineering technicians,” McNeil said. “However, defining what is actually ‘middle-skilled’ is not straightforward. In the end, the government used an existing classification based on an official qualifications framework. Some of the results are surprising.”
Despite these findings, Home Office sources told The Guardian that foreign workers coming to the UK under this scheme must still be sponsored by an employer and must earn at least £38,700 per year, or £31,000 if they are under 26 and in higher education.
The skilled worker visa allows successful applicants to stay in the UK for five years. However, DJs and musicians can also apply for a creative worker visa, which permits them to work in the country for up to three months.
