UK Seasonal Worker Visa Guide: Horticulture, Poultry and Sponsorship

The UK Seasonal Worker visa is a sponsored, temporary route for defined horticulture and poultry-production jobs. It is not a general farm-work visa. Before paying for travel or sharing personal documents, confirm that the job fits the route, the scheme operator is currently approved, and the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) describes the same employer, role, pay and dates you were offered.

The GOV.UK services and Immigration Rules in this guide were checked on 28 October 2026. Sponsor lists, application steps, pay figures and seasonal dates can change. Use the live official pages before making arrangements.

First check that the job is within the route

The Seasonal Worker route has two separate job categories. Horticulture includes specified crop-growing work such as field and protected vegetables, soft and orchard fruit, mushrooms, flowers, bulbs, pot plants and tree nurseries. Poultry production is limited to the roles in the Immigration Rules, including certain butchers, poultry processors, food operatives, catchers, vaccinators and packers. The current rule lists the occupation codes and job descriptions; check the actual duties and code rather than relying on a vacancy title.

The route does not cover every job on a farm, food factory or rural site. A permanent role, a different type of livestock work, a warehouse job unrelated to the listed poultry work or another job not described in the rule may need a different right-to-work route. Ask the recruiter to identify the sector and duties on the CoS, then compare them with the live Seasonal Worker Immigration Rules.

The visa grant follows the shorter applicable limit in the Immigration Rules and the job period on the CoS. For horticulture, the six-month limit is measured within any ten-month period; do not assume that leaving the UK briefly resets it. For poultry, the seasonal window is fixed, and a job offer outside it does not extend the visa window. The exact grant dates on the decision and eVisa are the dates to follow.

Find and verify the scheme operator

If you do not already have permission to work in the UK, the official worker guidance says you should apply for a seasonal job through an approved scheme operator. The operator sponsors the role and supports the visa process. The list can change, so use the live DEFRA seasonal work guidance rather than a saved screenshot or a third-party list.

Check the operator's name and contact details on the official GOV.UK page, then follow the link to its own recruitment information. A recruiter or local agent should be listed by that operator and licensed where required by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA). Check the current GLAA register where an agent is involved. Also check the Home Office register of licensed sponsors; a general sponsor licence alone does not establish that a business is currently endorsed for Seasonal Worker sponsorship.

Do not treat a logo, social-media profile, forwarded CoS number or email signature as proof. Contact the scheme operator using the details on its official site and ask whether the vacancy, recruiter, country agent and payment request are genuine. The operator should be able to explain the named job, location, pay, hours, accommodation arrangements, deductions and start/end dates before you accept.

Understand the Certificate of Sponsorship

The CoS is an electronic record with a reference number, not a paper visa or a work permit that can be transferred freely. The sponsor assigns it for a particular worker and job. It includes details such as the role, salary and work dates, and the rules require it to come from an appropriately rated sponsor with the relevant Seasonal Worker endorsement and GLAA licensing.

Compare the CoS details with your written offer before applying. Check your name and passport details, the sector and duties, occupation code if applicable, workplace, hourly pay, expected hours and job period. Raise inconsistencies with the operator before submitting the visa application. A CoS reference is usually valid for three months, and an application must be made no more than three months before the CoS start date. A poultry application also has the separate 15 November annual deadline.

The route requires you to obtain entry clearance before arriving in the UK. Do not travel as a visitor intending to start work while a Seasonal Worker application is pending. Your entry permission and the CoS job dates govern when you may work; a job offer or recruitment message does not itself give a right to work.

Plan the funds and documents

The usual financial requirement is at least £1,270 held for 28 consecutive days, with the specified end date falling within the period set by the financial-evidence rules. The sponsor may instead certify on the CoS that it will maintain and accommodate you up to the end of your first month, for at least the required amount. If the sponsor has not recorded that certification, assume you need to provide your own evidence and check the live application instructions.

The standard document list includes your CoS reference, a valid passport or travel document and evidence of funds unless the sponsor has certified support. The Home Office may ask for more evidence. Documents other than a passport that are not in English or Welsh need the required certified translation. Follow the current document checklist and make sure account statements cover the full required period; a balance that reaches £1,270 only on the application day may not satisfy the 28-day test.

The visa also has an application fee, and you may have travel, appointment or document costs. Check the live fee and application service rather than relying on a fee quoted by a recruiter. The DEFRA guidance distinguishes legitimate personal costs from prohibited recruitment charges: the operator must not charge you for a visa offer, and there is no fee for the CoS itself.

Pay, hours, accommodation and work limits

The CoS and job must comply with the applicable wage and working-time rules. The Immigration Rules checked for this guide set a £12.71 hourly floor and at least 32 hours' pay each week for horticulture and certain poultry roles (SOC codes 8111, 9111, 9119 and 9132). Poultry butchers and the listed 5433 roles have a different rule: at least £15.88 per hour and £38,700 per year. These are route-specific rule figures checked on 28 October 2026; the guaranteed basic-pay definition and detailed hours calculations matter, so check the live Appendix and applicable national/agricultural wage rules for the actual offer.

Piece-rate or output-based pay does not remove minimum wage protection for the relevant pay period. Keep your offer, rota, payslips and records of deductions. Before accepting accommodation, ask where it is, what it costs, how the charge is calculated and whether any amount will be deducted from wages. Official worker guidance says you should not be asked to pay accommodation in advance and describes a legally specified maximum charge; check the current limit and written terms.

Permission is restricted to the role you are sponsored for. You cannot take a permanent job, work a second job or switch to a job not described in the CoS under this visa. You cannot access public funds or bring a partner or children as dependants. Study is allowed subject to any applicable ATAS requirement. If the employer, location, duties or pay change, contact the scheme operator before working; do not assume a verbal change is permitted.

Application sequence and realistic timing

You can apply up to three months before the job start date stated on the CoS. The public GOV.UK service says a decision usually takes three weeks after you have applied, proved your identity and submitted documents, but appointments and extra evidence can take longer. Do not treat that service estimate as a guarantee or book non-refundable travel on the assumption that a decision will arrive by a particular day.

For a longer-term sponsored professional role, the Skilled Worker salary and occupation-code guide covers a different route with its own eligible jobs and salary tests. Do not use Seasonal Worker pay thresholds to assess a Skilled Worker offer, or treat a seasonal CoS as a route to permanent employment.

Recruitment scams and worker safety

GOV.UK warns that a scheme operator will not ask for money in exchange for a visa. You pay the official visa application fee and travel, and some countries may require specific documents or official appointment charges. There is no fee for the sponsorship certificate. The official worker guidance says requests for other payments, such as paying someone to translate your CV as a condition of getting a visa offer, are scams. If a payment is unclear, pause and verify it directly with the scheme operator through its published contact details.

Treat work offers sent through WhatsApp, Telegram or a personal account as a warning sign, particularly when the sender pressures you to pay quickly or promises a guaranteed visa. Check that the agent is listed by the scheme operator. Do not send passport scans, bank records or money to an unverified individual. Keep copies of every offer, payment request and conversation, and report concerns to the operator or relevant authorities.

Seasonal work can involve physical tasks, variable weather and rural accommodation. Before travelling, get the written terms for transport, accommodation, deductions, work location, expected hours, pay frequency and who to contact if conditions differ. Keep your passport and access to your own funds. If you feel unsafe or suspect labour exploitation, contact the scheme operator through a verified channel and use official worker-support or enforcement routes; do not rely only on the person who recruited you.

Frequently asked questions

UK immigration rules, sponsor lists, pay rates, dates and application services can change. Confirm current GOV.UK information and your own visa grant before acting. This guide is general information, not legal advice or a decision on an individual application.

Official sources

• GOV.UK: Seasonal Worker visa overview, timing and conditions
• Home Office: Immigration Rules Appendix Temporary Work - Seasonal Worker
• GOV.UK: Seasonal Worker eligibility and financial requirement
• GOV.UK: Seasonal Worker documents
• GOV.UK: Seasonal work on farms and recruitment scam guidance
• Home Office: Register of licensed sponsors
• Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority: public register
• GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates