UK Seasonal Worker visa

What the Seasonal Worker visa is and who it is for

The Seasonal Worker visa is one of the sub-routes inside the UK's Temporary Work category. It is designed for people coming to the UK to do seasonal jobs in specific sectors, rather than for long-term or permanent employment.

There are two eligible sectors. Horticulture covers work such as picking fruit, vegetables or flowers, and allows a stay of up to 6 months. Poultry covers seasonal poultry production work, which runs from 2 October to 31 December in the same year.

Applicants must have a confirmed job with a UK sponsor that holds the right sponsor licence before they apply. The visa is tied to that sponsored role.

• Horticulture: seasonal work such as picking fruit, vegetables and flowers (up to 6 months)
• Poultry: seasonal poultry production (2 October to 31 December)
• Requires a job offer and a certificate of sponsorship from an approved UK sponsor
• A temporary route only – it does not lead to settlement

Eligibility requirements

To qualify, applicants must meet all of the following requirements at the point of application.

• Be 18 or over on the date you apply
• Have a certificate of sponsorship reference number from your UK sponsor (valid for 3 months and usable only once)
• Have a job in an eligible sector (horticulture or poultry)
• Have at least £1,270 in personal savings, usually held for at least 28 days in a row before you apply – unless your sponsor certifies they will cover your costs
• Have a job that pays at least the minimum wage and follows UK working-hours rules (your sponsor is responsible for this)

Costs and money requirements

The application fee is £340.

You must also show you can support yourself. This normally means having at least £1,270 available in your bank account, held for at least 28 days in a row, with the 28th day falling within 31 days of the date you apply. If your sponsor is A-rated, they can instead certify on your certificate of sponsorship that they will cover your costs, which removes the need to show the £1,270 yourself.

A healthcare surcharge (Immigration Health Surcharge) may also apply to your application – see the review note about the amount for this route.

Documents you must provide

When you apply you will typically need:

• A valid passport or other travel document showing your identity and nationality
• Your certificate of sponsorship reference number from your sponsor
• Proof of your personal savings (unless your sponsor is certifying maintenance), showing the money has been held for the required period
• A blank passport page for your visa, if you are asked to attend a visa application centre
• Additional documents may be required depending on your circumstances – check the confirmation you get from your sponsor and the gov.uk documents list

How to apply

You apply for a Seasonal Worker visa online. Applications are made from outside the UK.

As part of applying you must prove your identity. Depending on where you are from and the type of passport you hold, you will either use the 'UK Immigration: ID Check' app to scan your identity document, or attend a visa application centre to give your fingerprints and photograph.

You can apply up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work. For poultry sector jobs, you must apply by 15 November each year. If you are approved, you can usually arrive in the UK up to 14 days before your job start date.

• Apply online from outside the UK
• Prove your identity via the ID Check app or at a visa application centre
• Apply up to 3 months before your job start date (poultry: apply by 15 November)

Processing times

Once you have applied and provided your biometrics or completed identity verification, you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks.

A faster decision may be available for an extra fee (priority service), though availability depends on where you are applying from.

What you can and cannot do

The Seasonal Worker visa allows you to do only the sponsored seasonal work in your sector. Study is generally permitted, though some courses require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.

• Can: do the seasonal job you are sponsored for
• Can: study (some courses need an ATAS certificate)
• Cannot: take a permanent job
• Cannot: do a second job outside your sponsored work
• Cannot: bring family members as dependants
• Cannot: claim public funds (benefits)

Bringing family

Family members cannot join you as dependants on this route.

If you have a child while in the UK, they do not automatically become a British citizen. You would need to apply online for the child's visa as your dependant, using their full UK birth certificate showing both parents' names.

Extending, switching and settlement

The Seasonal Worker visa is strictly temporary. It cannot be extended into a longer stay in the same way as longer-term work visas, and time spent on it does not count towards settlement (indefinite leave to remain).

If you want to stay in the UK for other work after your seasonal job, you would generally need to make a fresh application under a different, eligible route (for example a route that leads to settlement), subject to meeting that route's separate requirements.