14/01/2022
Seasonal Worker visas in 2022
This route allows overseas workers to come to the UK for up to six months to pick edible and ornamental crops. There will be 30,000 visas available in 2022 with the potential to increase this number by 10,000 if required and the UK Government will keep this number under review.
Going forward
This announcement also refers to the fact that there is a desire to 'cut the reliance on foreign labour' in this sector. The UK Government announced that the number of visas under this route will begin to taper down from 2023. The Government has declared that 'more must be done to attract UK workers through offering training, career options, wage increases and to invest in increased automation technology'.
Further changes to this route will require companies to pay those coming to the UK under this route a minimum salary and the route is to be extended to ornamental horticulture to support flower growers in the UK.
The full announcement is available here.
14 January 2022