UK IMMIGRATION NEWS

UK government to fast-track sheep shearers through the immigration system

Friday, 1 May 2009

The Home Office is set to relax the immigration rules for sheep shearers to help avoid a major shortage of workers this summer.

The UK shortage occupation list for Tier 2 of the points based system includes skilled sheep shearers. However they are required to go through the same visa application process applied to all the applicants on the shortage occupation list.

The move resulted from intense lobbying of the Department for Environment, Foods and Rural Affairs urging to relax immigration rules which were preventing shearers from Australia and New Zealand coming to the UK this summer when demand is high.

The Home Office confirmed it would accelerate applications by processing them within 15 days and would also allow the New Zealand and Australian shearers, currently based in the US, to apply from there, rather than having to return to their home countries.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) and the National Farmers' Union also lobbied intensely in order to make the Government relax the rules.

NSA chief executive Peter Morris said

"This is excellent news as there was a very real concern that many of the UK flock would not be shorn this year if the New Zealand and Australian shearers were not able to enter the country, the welfare implications were huge and the difficulties faced by all UK sheep farmers would have been immense."

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