Tilers, Fashion Designers: UK Releases List of Over 70 New Occupations Eligible for Work Visa
- The United Kingdom has expanded its Skilled Worker visa to include over 70 mid-level roles amid labour shortages
- The new list includes fashion designers, IT specialists, and lab technicians with a lower threshold
- Applicants still need a job offer from a licensed sponsor and must meet qualification and job code requirements
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The United Kingdom has increased its skilled worker visa scheme to include over 70 additional mid-level occupations, offering new work opportunities.
In the latest update titled the Temporary Shortage Occupation List (TSOL), foreign professionals such as fashion designers, engineering technicians, and IT specialists are now included among the professions eligible to apply for a work visa, with salaries starting from or below £29,000 (N60.16 million)
Source: Getty Images
This move, which took effect on July 22, 2025, is part of the government’s strategy to tackle urgent labour shortages by easing access to roles traditionally considered outside the high-skilled visa category.
UK adjusts visa requirements
The revised list reduces salary thresholds and streamlines visa processes for select roles in fields including healthcare, engineering, construction, creative industries, science, and information technology.
Under the revised rules, salary requirements now vary based on an applicant’s visa history.
While standard thresholds still apply to newcomers, those categorised as “new entrants” PhD holders.
Individuals with continuous Skilled Worker visas before April 4, 2024, can qualify at lower salary levels, Vanguard reports.
UK salary changes
For instance, a pipe fitter who previously needed to earn at least £46,000 can now be eligible with £40,400. Engineering technicians are permitted at £34,700, down from £42,500.
In the creative sector, fashion designers can now qualify with £29,100, while data analysts in tech are eligible at £28,600.
Laboratory technicians in science and healthcare can apply with £25,000, reduced from the standard £33,400.
This restructured visa list is seen as a direct response to economic and political pressures surrounding skills shortages.
It seeks to make the UK labour market more globally competitive while addressing domestic gaps in practical, mid-level roles.
Source: Getty Images
Rules on new visa requirements
Despite these new allowances, all applicants must still meet basic eligibility requirements, including having a confirmed job offer from a licensed UK sponsor and obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Applications must also include proof of qualifications, salary information, and a valid job match aligned with the official occupation codes.
Here is a list of new occupations
Some of the occupations captured in the new temporary list include:
- Painters and decorators
- Construction and building trades supervisors
- Floorers and wall tilers
- Dancers and choreographers
- Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators
- Clothing, fashion and accessories designers
- Authors, writers and translators
A comprehensive list and salary can be found here
UK companies approved to sponsor Nigerians' work visa
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the United Kingdom has released its 2025 list of organisations licensed to sponsor skilled workers into the country.
According to checks by Legit.ng, the latest list, updated on Wednesday, January 08, 2025, now includes 125,880 approved companies.
The approved companies span various sectors, including technology, commerce, education, media and advertising, engineering, etc.
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Source: Legit.ng
