The looming Brexit – the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union – is promising good news for South Africans looking to live and work in the UK. This was confirmed for lower-skilled workers earlier in September 2018, when the UK Government announced its intention to launch a new two-year seasonal worker pilot scheme.

The reasoning behind the implementation of this seasonal worker scheme is to bring relief to the acute labour shortages experienced by the UK agricultural sector during peak production times. It is widely expected that this labour shortage will be exacerbated when the UK leaves the EU.

The pilot scheme will only run from the UK Spring 2019 to December 2020. The good news is, however, that UK farmer unions welcomed the new pilot scheme via the UK media, and already felt that the scheme was not nearly ambitious enough. Farmer unions said that more workers are needed on UK farms. The UK Government said that they will review the results of the pilot scheme, and then determine the long-term needs of the UK agricultural industry.

Breytenbachs are optimistic that this might bring more welcome news for South Africans looking for such opportunities.

How the Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme will work

The Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme will be available to workers from outside the European Union. South Africans will thus qualify to apply. Applicants will have to be at least 18 years of age when they apply.

The scheme will have a cap of 2 500 workers per year. The visa holder will be allowed to do seasonal work on UK farms for up to six months.

The Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme will be run by two scheme operators, who will oversee the placement of the workers. The scheme operators have not yet been announced.

Unfortunately, Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants do not have any further details available yet, but we will inform readers and clients interested in this scheme via social media and our newsletters about any developments.

Please visit our website at www.bic-immigration.com for more news.