Dear Colleagues,
Immigration Rules changes for temporary visas for HGV Food Drivers and Poultry Workers
From yesterday, Monday 11 October, we will offer time-limited visas for up to 5,000 HGV food drivers and 5,500 poultry workers in the run-up to Christmas 2021 to ease supply chain pressures during exceptional circumstances this year.
Home Office officials are currently making the necessary changes to the Immigration Rules and, at the same time, officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are standing up the operators to begin recruitment. Recruitment for additional short-term HGV food drivers and poultry workers will begin in October and this route will be valid for poultry workers until 31 December 2021, and HGV food drivers until 28 February 2022. This is a temporary measure.
Operators will recruit those with the necessary skills and experience via the Temporary Worker route and issue them with a certificate of sponsorship. Once the applicant has the certificate of sponsorship, they may apply for a visa under the Temporary Worker route on GOV.UK.
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), working with DEFRA, will process applications in a timely manner. Applications will be processed in 15 working days – as this is the public service standard.
We want to see employers make long term investments in the UK domestic workforce, instead of relying on labour from abroad. So, in addition to these short-term solutions, the Government is supporting industry reform to recruit and retain a pipeline of new talent, and to improve pay and working conditions for the next generation of drivers.
Progress has already been made in testing and hiring, but the sector must take action in the form of improving pay, working conditions and creating a more diverse workforce.
