Isle of Man visas relaxed to attract seasonal hospitality staff

The changes have been made to attract seasonal workers to the island

Isle of Man visa rules for seasonal workers in the hospitality industry have been relaxed.

People from the EU can now apply to work on the island for nine months if they have work lined up with a local firm.

Enterprise Minister Alex Allinson said the move was in response to a current shortage of bar and restaurant workers.

It was a "significant and positive step" that would "lower the barriers to business", he added.

Hospitality has been hit by staff shortages due to the effects of Covid on recruitment, as well as the impact of Brexit on EU workers.

Dr Allison said the changes would allow firms to attract workers from countries who previously took part in seasonal work but can no longer do so.

'Workforce planning'

The new visa allows non-British and non-Irish nationals to undertake a temporary employment position which cannot be filled by a settled worker, at a cost of £244.

It is available to those who have not already held the equivalent visa in the Isle of Man, UK, or Channel Islands within the three months prior to applying, and have secured a job with a minimum salary of £20,800, pro-rated for the nine month period.

The existing Worker Migrant visa scheme has stricter criteria for employees to work on a longer term basis, including the meeting of English language requirements, which have been dropped for the new scheme.

Seasonal workers will be able to apply to switch to a longer visa if the employment looks set to continue.

Dr Allinson said it would help firms with planning in the lead up to the busier months in order to fill vacancies proving difficult to assign to Isle of Man workers.