Entertainers: Migrant Workers

(asked on 12th January 2026) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assess the importance of maintaining the temporary shortage list status of dancers and choreographers (standard occupational classification code 3414); and what assessment they have made of the impact of recent changes to salary thresholds and visa restrictions on professional dance companies and the UK performing arts industry.


Answered by
Lord Hanson of Flint Portrait
Lord Hanson of Flint
Minister of State (Home Office)
This question was answered on 29th January 2026

We have commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the new Temporary Shortage List (TSL), which provides limited exemptions from the skills threshold. The MAC are due to report in the summer and we will consider their recommendations at that time.

An impact assessment of changes to the Skilled Worker immigration route has been published alongside the statement of changes.

There are also provisions within the immigration system for dancers to use the Temporary Work – Creative Worker and Visitor routes.

Reticulating Splines