The list of occupations eligible for the UK’s non-European skilled work visas should be expanded “as soon as possible”, with the uncertainty caused by Brexit a major consideration, government advisers have said.

The migration advisory committee (MAC) said psychologists, occupational therapists, vets, archeologists and web designers were among the professions that should be added to the official shortage occupation list (SOL).

In a review published on Wednesday, the committee said its recommendations would mean putting about 2.5 million workers, or 9% of the total workforce, on the list, whereas the current figure was fewer than 1%. It said the expansion would come mainly from the inclusion of more health and IT jobs.

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Prof Alan Manning, the chair of the committee, said: “The labour market is very different now from the last SOL review in 2013. Unemployment is lower, vacancies higher and free movement no longer providing the ready supply of workers it once did for some employers. In addition, there is considerable uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the future immigration system. Together these factors lead to a high level of employer concern.”

The review said Brexit uncertainty and the resulting reduction in EU migration was one of the two main factors cited by employers, the other being growing demand.

It recommended lifting restrictions, such as those relating to seniority or speciality, from a number of occupations on the list, including medical practitioners, social workers, artists and a number of different categories of engineering, “as there is sufficient and overwhelming evidence of a UK-wide shortage”. The committee said the majority of requests from employers relating to artists were within animation, visual effects, sound effects and the computer gaming industry.

Jane Gratton, the head of people policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Expanding the shortage occupation list will help businesses access the skills they need when they can’t recruit locally. But the ending of free movement will present significant costs and challenges for employers.”

There are currently 34 occupations with 143 job titles on the list. The main benefits it confers are priority in the event of the cap being reached for tier-two work visas issued by the Home Office and exemption from the resident labour market test (RLMT).

The cap on skilled worker numbers operates on an annual quota of 20,700, with a fixed number of spaces available each month. The MAC review was commissioned by the home secretary, Sajid Javid, in April last year after the cap was hit.

Being employed in a profession on the SOL also grants exemption from the £35,000 minimum income threshold and incurs lower visa fees.

The MAC said the government had accepted its recommendations to abolish the cap on tier-two visas and the RLMT but that this was unlikely to happen until 2021 at the earliest.

It recommended Gaelic teachers should be included in the Scotland-only list and that separate SOLs should be created for Wales and Northern Ireland alongside the UK-wide list.

The committee said some professions should be removed from the UK list, including buyers and procurement officers, aircraft maintenance workers, IT specialist managers and health professionals, which includes dieticians and prosthetists.

The Home Office said it would respond to the report in due course.