Extension of Seasonal Worker visa will pave the way for foreign workers to come and work in horticulture sector for up to 6 months.
The Home Office of United Kingdom (U.K.) and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) today, i.e., December 24, 2021, extended the Seasonal Worker visa route until the end of 2024, paving the way for foreign workers to come and work in horticulture sector for up to 6 months.
The Home Office is responsible for immigration and passports. There will be 30,000 visas available next year. However, this will be kept under review with the potential to increase by 10,000, if necessary. The number of visas will begin to decrease from 2023 and the sector will have to improve pay and working conditions.
The extension of visa route becomes important because after Brexit, U.K. faced a severe crisis of labour. Earlier, labour from the European Union (E.U.) could move freely to U.K. but with Brexit, there are certain restrictions and limitations of movement of workforce.
Subsequent to the review of a pilot in 2019, the Home Office has reviewed the requirements placed on the scheme operators and updated the seasonal worker sponsor guidance to tighten the compliance requirements.
Taking it to twitter, DEFRA tweeted,
We’ll be expanding the #SeasonalWorkers visa route until 2024. It allows foreign workers to come to the UK for up to 6 months to work in the horticulture sector.
— Defra UK (@DefraGovUK) December 24, 2021
We’re keen to support the industry while it invests further in its domestic workforce:https://t.co/XM4NvRnWtb pic.twitter.com/bUU8nJqi9M
The Government has also asked the sector to reduce the reliance on foreign labours. U.K. wants to become a high-skilled and high-wage economy. It wants to implement polices that attract U.K. workers through offering training, career options, wage increases and to invest in increased automation technology.
DEFRA is also working on further proposals in due course on ways to support the sector as well as progressing recommendations in the Automation Review.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister for Safe and Legal Migration – Kevin Foster said, “The extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route strikes the right balance of supporting the industry while it transitions to employing and prioritising domestic workers.”
U.K. has a seasonal worker scheme from the time of the second world war. The agriculture sector has unique and seasonal requirements for labour at harvest and have listened to our world leading fresh produce industry to understand their needs.
Now with new changes in the visa route, companies will have to ensure they pay minimum amount of wage to labours and ensure they have good working conditions. Besides, the visa route will also be extended to ornamental horticulture to support the distinguished flower growers in the U.K.
