Responding to the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) wide-ranging review of the Seasonal Worker visa, the UK government on 29 January 2026 published a formal response that accepts most of the Committee’s recommendations. (gov.uk) The headline commitment is to provide the agri-food sector with long-term certainty by confirming visa quotas three years in advance – a move welcomed by growers that have struggled with year-to-year planning since Brexit.
For businesses, the biggest change is flexibility. The Home Office will pilot a 9-month visa (up from the current six) for horticulture roles, allowing employers to retain experienced workers across overlapping harvests and reducing costly churn. At the same time, ministers vowed to tighten compliance: recruiters must adopt the Employer Pays Principle, prohibition of worker-paid recruitment fees will be written into sponsor guidance, and sponsors will face unannounced spot checks focused on pay-slip data and accommodation standards.
Seasonal Worker numbers will remain capped at 55,000 in 2026 but the government pledges to publish allocations for 2027–2029 this spring, giving supermarkets and supply-chain planners a clearer labour forecast. Quotas will include a dedicated sub-allocation for poultry processing, addressing Christmas-peak labour shortages that saw import reliance surge in 2025.
![Government answers MAC review, pledges multi-year Seasonal Worker scheme and stronger safeguards]()
VisaHQ can support growers, labour providers and overseas applicants in navigating these forthcoming rule changes; its online platform streamlines sponsor licence management, individual visa filings and real-time status tracking. Companies looking to secure labour allocations well ahead of the harvest can learn more at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
The response also flags potential technology trials. The Home Office will explore digital right-to-work checks using eVisas and blockchain-based pay records to track real-time compliance with the National Minimum Wage. If successful, similar models could be extended to the Youth Mobility Scheme and even intra-company transferees, signalling a broader digitisation of employer oversight.
Global mobility teams supporting agri-business clients should note the timeline: revised sponsor guidance is promised “by April 2026” and a new online application portal – aligned with the wider UKVI digital transformation – will go live before the next picking season. Early engagement with labour providers and auditing of accommodation will be essential to avoid last-minute licence suspensions.
For businesses, the biggest change is flexibility. The Home Office will pilot a 9-month visa (up from the current six) for horticulture roles, allowing employers to retain experienced workers across overlapping harvests and reducing costly churn. At the same time, ministers vowed to tighten compliance: recruiters must adopt the Employer Pays Principle, prohibition of worker-paid recruitment fees will be written into sponsor guidance, and sponsors will face unannounced spot checks focused on pay-slip data and accommodation standards.
Seasonal Worker numbers will remain capped at 55,000 in 2026 but the government pledges to publish allocations for 2027–2029 this spring, giving supermarkets and supply-chain planners a clearer labour forecast. Quotas will include a dedicated sub-allocation for poultry processing, addressing Christmas-peak labour shortages that saw import reliance surge in 2025.
VisaHQ can support growers, labour providers and overseas applicants in navigating these forthcoming rule changes; its online platform streamlines sponsor licence management, individual visa filings and real-time status tracking. Companies looking to secure labour allocations well ahead of the harvest can learn more at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
The response also flags potential technology trials. The Home Office will explore digital right-to-work checks using eVisas and blockchain-based pay records to track real-time compliance with the National Minimum Wage. If successful, similar models could be extended to the Youth Mobility Scheme and even intra-company transferees, signalling a broader digitisation of employer oversight.
Global mobility teams supporting agri-business clients should note the timeline: revised sponsor guidance is promised “by April 2026” and a new online application portal – aligned with the wider UKVI digital transformation – will go live before the next picking season. Early engagement with labour providers and auditing of accommodation will be essential to avoid last-minute licence suspensions.
