Seasonal Worker Visa
A Seasonal Worker visa permits an individual to work in the UK in poultry farming or horticulture for a limited amount of time.
Those looking to take up employment as a seasonal worker on a poultry farm are permitted to work between 18 October and 31 December in a given year. If granted, applicants are allowed to enter the UK 14 days before they are due to begin working. Applications for the poultry worker track must be submitted by 15 November each year at the latest.
Applicants for horticulture (e.g. flower growing, picking fruit or vegetables) can work in the UK in this industry for up to six months. There are no restrictions or cut-off dates for applications for the horticulture track.
In order to be eligible for a Temporary Worker Visa, applicants must:
- be aged 18 or over
- have a sponsorship certificate from a licenced sponsor
- prove they have at least £1270 in their bank account to support themselves in the UK, or will have their first month’s costs covered by their sponsor
Once an application for a Seasonal Worker Visa has been submitted, a decision is usually received within three weeks. The application itself can be submitted up to three months before work in the UK is intended to begin.
The Home Office fee to apply for a Seasonal Worker Visa is £259.
Individuals holding a Seasonal Worker Visa are permitted to undertake the work for which they have been sponsored, as well as to study. They are not allowed to take on permanent or second jobs, access public funds such as housing benefits, or bring family members to the UK with them as dependants.