In a bid to alleviate the ongoing staffing challenges in the hospitality sector, the government is actively examining the possibility of introducing a short-term visa program. Under this proposal, individuals aged 18 to 30 from specific countries would have the opportunity to temporarily fill job vacancies in the UK hospitality industry for up to two years. This approach aims to provide a pragmatic solution without the need for sponsors or stringent salary requirements.
Despite a decrease of 37,000 job vacancies in the hospitality sector as of May, the industry is still grappling with substantial workforce shortages. UKHospitality has said vacancies are currently 48% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Prompting the need for innovative strategies.
The list of countries the UK has started to target beyond Europe includes Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Chile. Non-EU member states Norway and Switzerland were also said to be on the list. The scheme is set to fill "‘transient' roles, such as baristas, au pairs and waiters" and would not offer "settlement routes" for people coming to the UK.
