The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, along with the Department for Transport and the Home Office, has published a guide for employers on recruiting workers on the temporary visa scheme.
The scheme is open for applications now.
Below is a list of workers that can be hired with a temporary visa:
- Poultry workers;
- Heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers to transport food goods – large goods vehicle (occupation code 8211);
A poultry worker with an on-farm or off-farm poultry role includes a:
- Butcher (occupation code 5431);
- Bird or game dresser (occupation code 5433);
- Killer and plucker (occupation code 5433);
- Plucker (occupation code 5433);
- Poulterer (occupation code 5433);
- Poultry processor (occupation code 5433);
- Poultry sticker (occupation code 5433);
- Trusser (occupation code 5433);
- Food operative (occupation code 8111);
- Poultry catcher or handler (occupation code 9111);
- Poultry vaccinator (occupation code 9119);
- Poultry meat packer (occupation code 9134).
To recruit any of these workers, employers need to contact a scheme operator, with the application process varying form operator to operator.
In the guide, the government recommends four processors: AG Recruitment, Concordia, Fruitful Jobs and Pro-Force.
Applications for poultry workers under the temporary visa scheme must be submitted by November 15.
The temporary visa for poultry workers will expire on December 21, 2021.
For HGV food drivers, applications must be submitted by December 1, with the temporary visas expiring on February 28, 2022.
HGV drivers allocated through the scheme must have a HGV licence that is recognised by the UK for use. The scheme applies to EU, EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Swiss licence holders only.
They must hold a HGV (category C or C and E) licence.
