Agribusiness News April 2025 – UK Seasonal Worker Visas For 2025

UK Seasonal Worker Visas for 2025

Following a two-year extension, the Seasonal Workers Visa Scheme has now been extended for a further 5 years and is now guaranteed to run until 2029 providing certainty and stability to many businesses.

Visa Allocations

Poultry: For 2025, there will be 2,000 Seasonal Worker visas are available for the poultry sector.  Poultry workers can come for the period between 2 October and 31 December in the same year and applications have to be in by 15^th November each year.

Horticulture: For 2025, 43,000 Seasonal Worker visas will be available for horticulture, which includes flower, fruit and veg harvesting.  Applications can be submitted at any time for a working period of up to 6 months in any 12-month period.

The visas are divided between several approved Scheme operators, and it is through these Scheme operators that businesses must apply.

Permissions under the Visa

Seasonal workers can enter the UK up to two weeks before their work start date but during their time in the UK, they cannot take a permanent job or have a second job or a job that isn’t described in their certificate of sponsorship

Pay for Seasonal Workers

The regulations of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB) apply to seasonal workers who are working via the Visa Scheme.  The rates of pay are set annually on the 1st April.

The minimum hourly rate for all workers as of 1st April 2025 will be £12.21, in line with the UK Government’s National Living Wage.  Workers with an agricultural or production horticulture qualification will receive a £1.83/hour top up, taking their minimum wage to £14.04/hour.  Eligible qualifications are those at SCQF 6/7 or above and include National Certificates, Higher National s and Higher National Diplomas.

Overtime: Eligibility for overtime payments depends on the length of time employees have been working with that employer, and the number of hours worked.

For workers with up to 26 weeks continuous service, which would fit with most seasonal workers, overtime must be paid when a worker works for more than 8 hours on any day or for more than 48 hours in any week.  Overtime is calculated at 1.5 times the minimum hourly rate to which the worker is entitled.

The Agricultural wages: A Guide for Workers and Employers is a useful reference document on pay, working hours and benefits for agricultural workers.  This guide is available in full in Bulgarian and Polish or there is an abbreviated document covering the key features in Russian, Belarusian, Moldovan, Romanian, Ukrainian, Nepalese, Latvian and Kazakhstani.  Copies of this guide can be sourced by contacting SAWB on 0131 244 9750 or e-mail sawb@gov.scot

Further Information

Accommodation: From 1st of April 2025, any deduction an employer makes from a wage in respect of accommodation other than a house (caravans or static homes) shall not exceed £10.66/day.  The deduction must only be made for each day in the week that living accommodation is provided.

Weather Protective Clothing: The provision of weather protective clothing for employees and the replacement of any clothing that is no longer fit for use is the responsibility of the employer, not the employee.

Mhairi Dalgliesh, mhairi.dalgliesh@sac.co.uk