Process to obtain a licence under the Seasonal Worker Scheme
Freedom of Information Act request.
Ref: FOI 24-25 23
Date issued: 20 February 2025
Subject: Process to obtain a licence under the Seasonal Worker Scheme
Question:
We made a Freedom of Information request to the UK Visas & Immigration Department and have been directed to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority for a response to the following requests:
- What was the process to obtain a licence under the “Seasonal Worker Scheme” when applications were open (prior to the original scheme’s closure in 2014 and since the pilot scheme was launched in 2019)?
- How was the decision to award a licence (as referenced above) made in 2019 / what was the criteria for a company to be awarded a licence?
Response:
The GLAA is not involved the process to award licences under the Seasonal Workers Scheme (SWS). Therefore, the GLAA does not hold the information you have requested. We would advise you to contact UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for this information.
Under our Duty to Assist (section 16), you can contact them at the following emails:
- UKVI: foirequests@homeoffice.gov.uk
- DEFRA: defra.helpline@defra.gov.uk
As mentioned in our email to you, all SWS operators must have a GLAA licence. Under our Duty to Assist (section 16), you may be interested in our process for issuing GLAA licences. Further information can be found on our website https://www.gla.gov.uk/i-am-a/i-supply-workers/do-i-need-a-glaa-licence.