If you are searching for an additional source of income, you can pick up seasonal jobs when there is peak labour demands in the UK for Seasonal Worker Visa UK. Industries such as agriculture, tourism and hospitality, and even delivery services hire workers through the seasonal worker visa to handle increased workloads during peak demand times.
In the UK, the seasonal worker visa allows foreign workers to enter the country for seasonal agricultural work such as picking fruits and vegetables or poultry production. Workers can stay up to 6 months or less in the country, but cannot settle permanently in the UK through this visa.
Individuals who wish to get paid while experiencing life in the UK for a short while can use this visa pathway. Also, individuals who have a love for agriculture and love volunteering can also benefit from this visa.
This article is here to guide these set of individuals on what the seasonal worker visa is about, the eligibility requirements, how to apply, and your rights and responsibilities as a temporary employee.
What to Expect as a Temporary Worker with a Seasonal Worker Visa in 2025
The UK’s seasonal worker scheme created this visa to allow eligible workers to enter the UK for work for a short time in the agriculture sector. Generally, horticulturists perform roles such as nutrient management, overseeing soil health and overseeing crop production.
Farm owners can source people for that role locally, but during harvest time more hands are needed to pick fruits and vegetables. Before the harvest time approaches, farmers already know how demanding work is during that period and they begin to source for extra hands.
If they are not able to get willing participants to do the seasonal job, the scheme then allows them to hire interested foreign workers to come in that period, help out, get paid and return to their country.
Some seasonal workers develop a good relationship with their employers, and get to return every year. The idea is that once you are done with your service and have received your payment, you return to your country.
This means that if you apply for this visa with the hope of settling permanently in the UK, you will be terribly disappointed. The UK government has clearly stated that the seasonal worker visa is for temporary and short-term work visits only.
The temporary nature of the seasonal worker visa is not limited to your stay in the UK, but also in the types of work you can or cannot do with this visa.
You are allowed to do the following jobs:
- Fruit picking.
- Vegetable harvesting
- Butcher
- Chicken killer and/or plucker
On the other hand, holders of this visa are not allowed to work a second job, work in a job not specifically described in their CoS, or take on a permanent job. They are also not allowed to bring in dependents (partner or children), or solicit for public funds.
It is not possible to switch to other visa routes or vice versa, and holders cannot also extend this visa.
Understanding UK Visa Requirements for Seasonal Employment Opportunities
To be eligible for the UK seasonal worker visa in 2025, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be of legal working age, i.e. 18 years and above.
- Must have received a job offer from a UK-based sponsoring employer who either owns a farm or manages one.
- Must have gotten a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your employer.
- Either you are able to support yourself financially (by having at least 1270 pounds in your account), or your employer agrees to sponsor you for the first month.
- Your police clearance certificate must show that you have a clean criminal record.
- If it is required of you, you may have to submit a TB test or other medical certificates that confirms you are able to work.
- You must confirm that you only intend to work for 6 months (for horticulture sector) or between October 2 to December 31 (for poultry production) and nothing more.
- You must have strong ties to your home country that shows you intend to return after your job in the UK is done.
How to Apply for a Seasonal Worker Visa in the UK for Temporary Jobs in 2025
To apply for this visa, visit the Home Office’s official website, and fill the application form.
Complete the form with your accurate details.
Upload required documents.
To verify your identity, either you schedule and attend a biometric appointment at a visa application center, or you download the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app.
Pay the required fees
Submit your application.
The documents you will need for this application include:
- A valid passport
- CoS reference number
- A letter of invitation from your employer showing your job offer.
- Proof of funds. Exemption lies where your employer states that they are covering your first month’s living expenses.
- Official translation of your documents (if it’s not in English or Welsh).
- Tuberculosis test results
Your employer also needs to provide proof of endorsement from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and present their sponsor licence.
The application fee for the seasonal worker visa in 2025 is 319 pounds.
Applicants for this visa are also required to pay immigration health surcharge which is usually 1,035 per year. However, since this surcharge is calculated in six-month blocks, they can pay 517.5 pounds for the 6 months they will stay for.
NOTE that if you are applying for poultry production, then your application must start from November 15th.
Seasonal Worker in the UK: Rights and responsibilities for temporary employees
As a seasonal worker, you are entitled to either the Agricultural Minimum Wage, the National Minimum Wage, or the National Living Wage. You are entitled to one day off per week after working for 48 hours a week.
If you are working for more than 6 hours a day, you are entitled to a 20-minute break. Then between your shifts, you should have at least 11 hours to rest properly. If you stay away from work for four days or more, you are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay and the same working conditions as permanent employees.
