Visa concession for offshore wind workers extended till 30 April 2023
The UK government made a temporary change to the Immigration Rules in 2017, allowing foreign people to work on offshore wind farm projects in UK territorial waters, and the Home Office made the Offshore Wind Worker Concession (OWWC) the same year.
The UK government made a temporary change to the Immigration Rules in 2017, allowing foreign people to work on offshore wind farm projects in UK territorial waters, and the Home Office made the Offshore Wind Worker Concession (OWWC) the same year. Foreigners could get into the UK without a visa if they had a job on a ship that helped build and take care of wind farms in UK territorial waters.
This concession has been extended multiple times, with the most recent extension given on July 2, 2022, due to “severe worker shortages.” The extension was meant to expire on October 31, 2022. But the Home Office said that the concession would be extended until April 30, 2023, thinking about the workers and the situation.
The following is a summary of the concessions that may be obtained.
- The Home Office has agreed to make an exception to the Immigration Rules for workers who are needed to build and maintain wind farms in UK territorial waters.
- The concession will let foreign workers into the UK until April 30, 2023, so they can work on a ship that is building and maintaining a wind farm in UK territorial waters.
- Permission to enter under the provisions of the concession will not be given after April 30, 2023. Firms involved in the building or maintenance of wind farms within their territorial seas should seek to regularize the positions of their employees during this time. Those who need authorization to enter the UK should do so in accordance with the Immigration Rules.
- Time spent in the United Kingdom under this concession does not count toward settlement. A person who is given leave under this provision may not use public money.
- To get in under this special rule and keep the border safe, a person who wants to get in must show:
- A valid passport
- A letter from their employer saying that they are working on building or maintaining a wind farm project in their territorial waters.
- A transit visa if they are from a visa country and can’t show the right seaman’s book (see below), see the section on entry clearance below.
- Under this concession, a person can only get permission to enter if they are at least 18 years old on the day they enter.
Entry clearance for visa holders
- A visa national should apply for and acquire entry clearance before traveling to the UK, unless they can present a seaman’s book in accordance with ILO Convention 108 (issued by a country that has ratified that Convention) or ILO Convention 185. (Issued by a country that has ratified that Convention having previously ratified ILO Convention 108).
- Those requiring entrance permission should apply for a tourist in transit visa online at gov.uk and select the option “to begin employment on a ship or aircraft” when prompted. This visa does not require the payment of the Immigration Health Surcharge.
- Under this concession, a person can only get permission to enter if they have: a) a valid passport; and b) a letter from their employer saying that they are working on building or maintaining a wind farm project within their territorial seas.
- Visa-issuing nations must report to an Immigration Officer upon arrival in the UK to apply for leave to enter under the terms of paragraphs 1–6 above.
- The Home Office will look at Part 9: grounds for denial of entry, of the Immigration Rules to decide if a person who wants to use this concession is eligible.
The legal team at Claimtime Immigration Solicitors is dedicated to helping people with immigration issues. We are experts in immigration law and strive to get the best possible outcomes for our clients. Please call us at 08009702727 or email us at [email protected] if you need help with sponsorship or any other issues related to UK immigration law. We are here for you
