Dog groomers, lifestyle coaches, and other overseas workers in certain occupations may soon lose eligibility for skilled worker visas under a Labour government clampdown on legal immigration. The government plans to publish a White Paper later this year aimed at cutting net migration by linking visas to skills and boosting training for British workers.
The move follows revised official figures showing net migration to the UK hit a record 906,000 in 2023, and stood at 728,000 for the year to June 2024. The National Audit Office (NAO) warned that the Home Office may not be achieving value for money from its management of the skilled worker visa route, noting that changes made by the previous government were implemented without fully understanding their impact.
Home Office data analysed by the University of Oxford’s Centre on Migration, Policy and Society reveals that 334 visas were issued for animal care service occupations—including dog groomers, dog walkers, and kennel assistants—in the three years to March 2024. During the same period, 167 fitness and well-being instructors, such as lifestyle coaches and yoga instructors, were granted visas. Other eligible roles include costume interpreters at museums and National Trust properties, cemetery managers, homeopaths, and cycling instructors.
Robert McNeil, a researcher at the Oxford centre, explained that the government reduced the skills threshold for work visas after Brexit, allowing middle-skilled jobs to qualify. Previously, only graduate-level roles were eligible. He noted that while some middle-skilled jobs like plumbers or bricklayers are expected, others are surprising, such as air travel assistants, with 869 visas issued in the year ending March 2024.
The salary threshold for skilled worker visas rose from £26,200 to £38,700 per year in April 2024, though it can be lowered for those under 26, recent graduates, or those in professional training. The NAO recommended that the Home Office publish a re-evaluation of the visa route within three months.
