UK Seasonal Worker visa for horticulture and poultry work

There is no list of eligible nationalities, so any nationality can apply on the same terms. You must be 18 or over and must not have been in the UK as a Seasonal Worker in the 4 months before your new start date. Horticulture and most poultry jobs must pay at least £12.71 an hour with 32 hours’ pay guaranteed each week; butcher and poultry dresser roles need £15.88 an hour and £38,700 a year. Jobs that breach minimum wage or working time law are refused.

Show £1,270 held for 28 days in a row, with day 28 within 31 days of applying. This is not needed if your operator certifies on the certificate that it will support and house you until the end of your first month.

The fee is £340 (fee table from 8 October 2026), with no health surcharge. Where offered, priority service costs £500 extra (usually 5 working days) and super priority £1,000 (usually the next working day).

Workers are sponsored by scheme operators, not by farms directly. An operator must hold an A-rated licence, be endorsed by DEFRA and be licensed by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority; check it on the register of licensed sponsors. The certificate of sponsorship is a single-use electronic reference, issued no more than 3 months before you apply.

Apply online up to 3 months before the start date; horticulture all year, poultry by 15 November. You then give fingerprints and a photo at a visa application centre, possibly in another country, or use the UK Immigration: ID Check app. A decision usually follows within 3 weeks.

You may enter up to 14 days before work starts. You may only do the job on your certificate: no second or permanent job and no public funds, though study is allowed. The rules offer no extension or switching inside the UK and the route never leads to settlement; another season needs a new certificate and application.

After a refusal you can request an administrative review within 28 days for £80. GOV.UK warns reviews currently take 12 months or more, so reapplying with corrected evidence is usually faster.