Tier 5 Temporary Workers

You can apply for a Tier 5 Seasonal Worker visa if you want to come to the UK for up to 6 months to do farm work. You’ll need to:

• have a sponsor
• be from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
• meet the other eligibility requirements

The earliest you can apply for a visa is 3 months before the date you’re due to start work. This date is on your certificate of sponsorship.

You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK.

Fee

The visa costs £244.

You can stay in the UK for up to 6 months.

You can enter the UK as soon as your visa is valid (up to 14 days before the start date of your job).

You can:

• work in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship
• study (for some courses you’ll need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate)

You cannot:

• take a permanent job
• work in a second job or a job that isn’t described in your certificate of sponsorship
• get public funds
• bring family members with you

You must be 18 or over when you apply and have both of the following:

• a certificate of sponsorship reference number from your UK sponsor
• at least £945 that’s been in your bank account for 90 days before you apply – this is to prove you can support yourself

You will not need £945 in savings if your sponsor is fully approved (‘A-rated’) and has stated on your certificate of sponsorship that they’ll provide accommodation and food for your first month. They’ll also need to state that you will not claim benefits during your stay.

A certificate of sponsorship is a reference number which holds information about the job and your personal details. It’s not an actual certificate or paper document.

Your sponsor will give you your certificate of sponsorship reference number.

You’ll need to add your certificate of sponsorship reference number to your visa application form – you can only use it once.

Your certificate of sponsorship is valid for 3 months from the date it’s assigned to you.

Your sponsor can give you a multiple entry certificate of sponsorship so you can leave and return to the UK.

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

• a current passport or other valid travel identification
• bank statements showing you’ve had at least £945 in savings in your bank account for 90 days before you apply – this is to prove you can support yourself
• your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test

You need a blank page in your passport for your visa. If you have another type of travel document (for example, a stateless person’s travel document) it must have space for your visa.

You will not need £945 in savings if your sponsor is fully approved (‘A-rated’) and has stated on your certificate of sponsorship that they’ll provide accommodation and food for your first month. They’ll also need to state that you will not claim benefits during your stay.

You must also provide a certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh, apart from your passport.

https://www.gov.uk/tier-5-seasonal-worker-visa (page source)