Can I Extend A UK Seasonal Work Visa?

You cannot extend a Seasonal Worker visa from inside the UK. To come back for another season, you must leave and make a new application from outside the UK.

Understanding The UK Seasonal Worker Visa

The Seasonal Worker visa (Temporary Work), previously part of the Tier 5 route, lets you come to the UK to work in horticulture (for example picking fruit, vegetables or flowers) or in poultry production. The rules are set out in Appendix Temporary Work – Seasonal Worker of the Immigration Rules. It does not lead to settlement.

How Long You Can Stay

• Horticulture: up to 6 months in any 10-month period.
• Poultry: from 2 October to 31 December in the same year. You must apply for poultry work on or before 15 November.

In practice you get the period of the job on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days before and 14 days after, if that is shorter than the maximum above.

What You Can and Cannot Do

You can work only in the job described in your Certificate of Sponsorship, and you can study (some courses need an ATAS certificate). You cannot take a permanent job, do other work outside your sponsorship, claim public funds or bring family members with you.

Can You Extend A Seasonal Worker Visa?

No. The Seasonal Worker rules only allow entry clearance applications, which you must make from outside the UK. You cannot apply for permission to stay (an extension) from inside the UK, and you cannot switch from a Seasonal Worker visa to most other routes, such as the Skilled Worker visa, from inside the UK.

You must leave the UK before your permission expires. Overstaying breaches immigration law and can lead to removal and to refusal of future applications.

Coming Back for Another Season

You can apply for a new Seasonal Worker visa for a later season, but you must meet all the requirements again, including a new Certificate of Sponsorship. Two time rules apply:

• for horticulture, your total time as a Seasonal Worker cannot be more than 6 months in any 10-month period; and
• you must not have been in the UK as a Seasonal Worker during the 4 months immediately before the start date on your new Certificate of Sponsorship.

For example, if your horticulture job ends in October, the start date of your next Seasonal Worker job would need to be at least 4 months after you left the UK.

Eligibility for A New Seasonal Worker Visa

Sponsor and Certificate of Sponsorship

You need a Certificate of Sponsorship reference number from an approved Seasonal Worker scheme operator. The sponsor must be A-rated on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors, endorsed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for this route and licensed by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.

The certificate must have been issued no more than 3 months before you apply, and the start date on it must be no more than 3 months after you apply. You can only use a certificate once.

Pay and Working Conditions

The job must comply with the National Minimum Wage and the Working Time Regulations. The Home Office will refuse your application if it has reasonable grounds to believe the job does not comply.

Money to Support Yourself

You need at least £1,270 in your bank account, held for 28 days in a row, with day 28 falling within 31 days of the date you apply. You do not need to show this if your A-rated sponsor confirms on your Certificate of Sponsorship that it will maintain and accommodate you up to the end of your first month, up to £1,270.

Age, English and TB

You must be 18 or over when you apply. There is no English language requirement for this route. Depending on where you are applying from, you may need a tuberculosis (TB) test certificate from an approved clinic.

How to Apply for A New Seasonal Worker Visa

1. Get a new Certificate of Sponsorship reference number from your scheme operator.
2. Apply online on GOV.UK from outside the UK. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before the day you are due to start work.
3. Pay the application fee.
4. Prove your identity, either using the UK Immigration: ID Check app or at a visa application centre, depending on your nationality and passport.
5. Provide your documents, including your passport, evidence of funds (unless your sponsor certifies maintenance) and TB test results if required.

You will usually get a decision within 3 weeks. In some locations you may be able to pay extra for a faster decision. Your decision email will explain how you can prove your status, which is now normally an eVisa accessed through your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.

If your application is refused, you can apply for an administrative review if you think the Home Office made a mistake.

Costs

• Application fee: £340.
• Immigration Health Surcharge: not payable if you apply from outside the UK for a visa of 6 months or less, which covers Seasonal Worker visas.

Your sponsor must not ask you to pay the Certificate of Sponsorship fee or other costs of sponsoring you. If you are asked to pay, get advice before you go ahead.

Other Options If You Want to Stay Longer

To work in the UK for longer, you need to qualify for a different visa, such as the Skilled Worker visa, and in most cases apply from outside the UK. Eligibility depends on the job, salary and your own circumstances, so take advice before planning your next step.