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How to get sponsor for UK’s new 10,000 “Work Visa Scheme”

  • UK to grant 5,500 short-term visas to poultry workers and,
  • 5,000 temporary visas for truck drivers
  • Haulage industry claims a shortage of 100,000 drivers
  • Retail sector says government plans are insufficient

For a short-term basis, the UK government will accept 10,500 new foreign workers to overcome the labor shortage. The UKBA too has not yet decided from which specific countries the labor force will be imported. This is too not clear how to apply for this new scheme.

Since the new immigration scheme is for short term and temporary basis, so it seems impossible to recruit the labor force from out of Europe. This is also because finding a sponsor to apply for the work visa takes a lot of time.

The European nationals cannot straightaway work in the UK after the new immigration policy which means they will have to apply for a work visa in order to work in the labor market. In this scenario, the “Seasonal Work Visa Program” like other countries could help the UK a lot. These short-term visas, which the government had previously rejected introducing despite calls from retail and logistics companies, will expire on Dec. 24.

Worker shortages are a growing problem in Britain, which had a record 1 million job vacancies between June and August, according to the Office for National Statistics.

How to find Truck driver jobs in the UK?

Here are some of the online portals that could help you find truck driver jobs in the UK:

Truck Driver – Average Salary in the UK

The average salary for a Truck Driver is £30,200 gross per year (£2,010 net per month), which is £600 (+2%) higher than the UK’s national average salary. A Truck Driver can expect an average starting salary of £24,200. The highest salaries can exceed £60,000.

How to find poultry jobs in the UK?

​In 2018, the agrifood sector contributed £120.2 billion (9.4%) to the national Gross Value Added. 3.6 to 4.1 million people were employed in the food sector in the UK in the last quarter of 2019, which adds up to 12-13% of the employed population.

Here are some of the online portals that could help you find poultry jobs in the UK:

The 10,000 work visa scheme details

According to the Ministry of Transport announced in London, the new move will bring 5,000 truck drivers and 5,500 skilled workers from other important industries such as poultry processing into the country. The visas should be available from October.

With the temporary visas, skilled workers should be able to work in the UK until Christmas Evening. The government hopes that the move will help replenish supermarket shelves and toy shops before Christmas. The package of measures unveiled on Saturday by the Department for Transport also includes a scheme to train 4,000 people as new HGV drivers.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said:

“It is a top priority to ensure that there are enough workers across the country’s supply chains to make sure they remain strong and resilient. We have listened to concerns from the sector and we are acting to alleviate what is a very tight labour market”.

The Food and Drink Federation’s Chief Executive, Ian Wright CBE, said:

We welcome the Government’s pragmatic decision to temporarily add HGV drivers and poultry workers to the existing visa scheme. This is something UK food and drink manufacturers have asked for over the last few months – including in the industry’s Grant Thornton report – to alleviate some of the pressure labour shortages have placed on the food supply chain. This is a start but we need the Government to continue to collaborate with the industry and seek additional long term solutions”.

British Poultry Council chief executive Richard Griffiths said:

“The Government’s move to allow temporary workers for the poultry meat sector will be welcomed by seasonal producers. Temporary workers from outside the UK have long been vital to delivering Christmas for our sector and given the unprecedented challenges of the last year they are needed more than ever. British turkey and goose are the centrepieces of Christmas dinners across the country and we are pleased that the Government has listened”.