Temporary Seasonal Worker Visa for UK farms

Temporary Seasonal Worker Visa for UK farms: 5-year extension announced

The UK government recently announced the extension of the of the seasonal farm worker scheme for five more years in an effort to give farmers confidence in labour supply and to reset relations after inheritance tax row.

Seasonal workers are the backbone of several UK industries, stepping in during peak demand to keep the economy thriving. From agriculture to hospitality, their role is essential.  

The Seasonal Worker route is subject to an annual quota. For 2025, the quota is 45,000, divided between the horticulture sector and the poultry production sector as follows:

• horticulture sector – 43,000 places
• poultry production sector – 2,000 places

This seasonal worker visa provides farms with a consistent seasonal workforce, in particular in fruit and vegetable harvesting. “The NFU President Tom Bradshaw stated ““We have seen in the past how damaging shortages of workers have been, referencing the NFU’s own survey work, which found that 41% of respondents reduced the amount of food they produced due to being unable to recruit the essential workforce needed, with approximately £60 million worth of crops lost during 2022 due to labour shortages”.

The UK’s agricultural sector relies heavily on seasonal labour, particularly for fruit-picking and vegetable harvesting. 

The Home Office has confirmed that this change to seasonal visas will not impact the migration figures as these workers can only remain in the UK for 6 months for fruit picking and harvesting.

Are you in need of seasonal workers and require immigration advice? Why not get in touch with our Immigration Team today.