Foreign dancers, interior designers, musicians and writers are expected to be exempt from a visa ban being introduced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in a bid to lower net migration.

The roles have been identified as “shortage” occupations, which are critical to Sir Keir Starmer’s growth plans.

They are among up to 82 “non-graduate” roles which will not be part of the visa ban.

Among other occupations are photographers, fashion designers, artists, choreographers, actors, entertainers and presenters, which are listed on the “temporary shortage” list of professions.

They have been listed alongside construction sector jobs like carpenters, plasterers, plumbers, painters and decorators.

The temporary shortage list, which has been drawn up by the Government’s migration advisory committee (Mac), is aimed at letting below-degree-level workers into Britain if they are seen as being “key to the industrial strategy” or delivering critical infrastructure.

Businesses and organisations will only be allowed to recruit these workers from overseas if they have drawn up plans to train-up Britons to fill the jobs in the future.

The companies will have between 18 months to three years to train up the British staff to fill the skills shortages before the “temporary” visas are withdrawn.

The salary thresholds for recruiting shortage workers from abroad are expected to be “at least as high as they are on the skilled worker visa”, according to the Mac.

Currently, the threshold is set at £41,700 a year.

However, unlike previous lists for previous foreign temporary shortage occupations, overseas workers may be denied the right to settle in the UK once their visa has expired.

A Mac spokesman said: “A fixed-length visa might add a greater incentive for employers to utilise the domestic workforce as a longer-term and more stable solution than hiring overseas workers.”

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The spokesman added: “Not offering a route to settlement reduces net migration by significantly increasing emigration of visa holders qualifying on the temporary shortage list.”

However, the Mac did not make a specific recommendation, instead leaving it up to ministers to decide whether to bar temporary workers from the right to settle.

It did suggest there could be individual caps on the number of temporary workers that are allowed to be recruited within individual occupations.

This would act as “an emergency brake” on sudden surges in migration.

It comes after it was reported earlier this year that diversity and inclusion “experts” can have their visa application to Britain fast-tracked as “skilled workers”.

In May, Labour announced a temporary list of roles that would make foreign workers eligible for skilled work visas, including the controversial role of “equality and diversity manager”.

Both MPs and the public have widely criticised the position, claiming it is an example of taxpayers’ money being put to waste to prioritise diversity over merit and a politically charged concept.

Some argue the initiatives create division and resentment among employees, while others claim DEI efforts have been accused of leading to tokenism or lower standards in hiring and promotions.

Ashfield MP Lee Anderson said: “As the land of literary giants like Shakespeare and PG Wodehouse, a nation with the richest literary tradition in the world, the UK does not need to import poets and bloggers.”

The Reform UK MP continued: “What we urgently need are doctors, builders, and entrepreneurs, people who will contribute directly to our economy and public services.”