UK Farm Work Visa Sponsorship Jobs 2024

Farmers Weekly,

which is a magazine and website that covers news, markets, and jobs in the UK’s farming sector. You can use their Farmers Weekly Jobs section to search for farm work opportunities by category, location, and salary.

Farmers Guardian

which is another magazine and website that provides information and insights for the UK’s farming community. You can use their Farmers Guardian Jobs section to find farm work vacancies by sector, region, and type.

When contacting UK farms, you should have a clear and professional CV and cover letter highlighting your skills, experience, and motivation for working as a farm worker in the UK. It would be best if you also were prepared to answer questions about your visa status, availability, and expectations.

How do I get UK Farm Work Visa Sponsorship Jobs?

To get sponsorship for work in the UK, you must find a UK employer with a sponsor license willing to sponsor you. A sponsor license is a permission granted by the UK Home Office to an employer who wants to hire workers from outside the UK. The employer must meet certain criteria and follow certain rules to obtain and maintain a sponsor license.

To apply for a sponsor license, the employer must:

• Check if their business is eligible. The business must be genuine, operating lawfully, and have no history of immigration offenses or non-compliance.
• Check if the job is suitable for sponsorship. The job must be at an appropriate skill level, pay the minimum salary, and meet the genuine vacancy test.
• Choose the type of license they want to apply for. There are two types of sponsor licenses: Tier 2 and Tier 5. Tier 2 is for skilled workers with a long-term job offer, while Tier 5 is for temporary workers with a short-term job offer. The new visa for unskilled workers will fall under Tier 5.
• Decide who will manage sponsorship within their business. The employer must appoint certain people within their organisation to manage the sponsorship process and report to the Home Office. These people are called the authorizing officer, the key contact, and the level 1 user.
• Apply online and pay the fee. The employer must fill in an online application form and provide supporting documents to prove their eligibility and suitability. The fee for a sponsor licence depends on the size and type of the business, but it ranges from £536 to £1,476.

Once the employer has a sponsor licence, they can issue certificates of sponsorship to the workers they want to hire. A certificate of sponsorship is not a physical document, but a unique reference number that confirms the worker’s job offer and sponsorship. The worker will need this number to apply for their visa.

Are farm workers in demand in the UK?

Farm workers are in high demand in the UK, especially at certain times of the year, such as during harvesting. The UK’s farming sector relies heavily on foreign workers, who make up about 70% of the seasonal workforce. However, due to Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK has faced a shortage of farm workers in recent years, which has affected the production and supply of fresh food.

To address this issue, the UK government has introduced several measures to attract and retain farm workers, such as:

• Expanding the Seasonal Workers Pilot, which is a scheme that allows UK farms to recruit up to 30,000 workers from outside the EU for up to six months. The pilot was launched in 2019 with a quota of 2,500 workers, and was increased to 10,000 workers in 2020. In 2021, the quota was further increased to 30,000 workers, and the scheme was extended to include workers from the EU as well.
• Launching the Pick for Britain campaign, which is an initiative that encourages UK residents to apply for farm work opportunities. The campaign aims to fill the gap left by foreign workers who are unable to travel to the UK due to travel restrictions or visa changes. The campaign provides information and guidance on how to find and apply for farm work, as well as testimonials and tips from existing farm workers.
• Introducing the new visa for unskilled workers, which is the visa scheme that we have discussed in this blog post. This visa will allow UK farms to hire up to 20,000 workers from outside the UK for up to three years, starting from 2024. This visa will replace the current Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Seasonal Worker) visa, which is only valid for up to six months.

These measures are expected to help the UK’s farming sector meet its labour needs and ensure the availability and quality of fresh food for the UK consumers.

What Other unskilled jobs are in demand in UK?

Besides farm work, there are other unskilled jobs that are in demand in the UK, such as:

• Warehouse operative, which is a job that involves storing, picking, packing, and dispatching goods in a warehouse or distribution centre. Warehouse operatives may use equipment such as forklifts, pallet trucks, and scanners to move and organise goods. Warehouse operatives may work for various sectors, such as retail, manufacturing, logistics, and e-commerce.
• Cleaner, which is a job that involves cleaning and maintaining various premises, such as offices, schools, hospitals, hotels, and homes. Cleaners may use tools and products such as vacuums, mops, brushes, and detergents to perform tasks such as dusting, sweeping, mopping, sanitising, and disposing of waste. Cleaners may work for cleaning companies, public institutions, or private clients.
• Care assistant, which is a job that involves providing personal and practical care to people who need support, such as the elderly, the disabled, or the ill. Care assistants may help with tasks such as bathing, dressing, feeding, toileting, and administering medication. Care assistants may work in various settings, such as care homes, hospitals, or clients’ homes.
• Delivery driver, which is a job that involves delivering goods or services to customers or clients. Delivery drivers may use vehicles such as cars, vans, bikes, or motorcycles to transport items such as food, parcels, documents, or flowers. Delivery drivers may work for delivery companies, restaurants, online platforms, or self-employed.

These are some examples of unskilled jobs that are in demand in the UK, but there may be more depending on the location, sector, and season. To find unskilled jobs in the UK, you can use online job boards and websites, such as Indeed, Totaljobs, Reed, or Monster. You can also use local newspapers, word-of-mouth, or social media to look for job opportunities.

What is the age limit for a UK working visa?

There is no age limit for a UK working visa, as long as you meet the other eligibility requirements for the visa category you are applying for. However, some visa categories may have specific age criteria, such as:

• The Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa, which is a visa that allows young people aged 18 to 30 from certain countries to live and work in the UK for up to two years. You must be a citizen of Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, or Taiwan, or a British overseas citizen, British overseas territories citizen, or British national (overseas) to apply for this visa.
• The Ancestry visa, which is a visa that allows Commonwealth citizens aged 17 or over who have a UK-born grandparent to live and work in the UK for up to five years. You must also prove that you are able to work and intend to work in the UK to apply for this visa.
• The Global Talent visa, which is a visa that allows highly skilled and talented individuals in fields such as science, engineering, humanities, medicine, digital technology, arts, and culture to live and work in the UK for up to five years. You must be endorsed by a recognised UK organisation as a leader or potential leader in your field to apply for this visa. There is no age limit for this visa, but if you are under 18, you must have your parent or guardian’s consent.

These are some examples of visa categories that have age criteria, but there may be more depending on the type and purpose of your work. You should always check the specific requirements and guidance for the visa category you are interested in before applying.