UK SBS programme to be extended
19 May 2004
The Home Office has announced that the Sectors Based Scheme (SBS) programme will be extended for a further 12 months from 1 June 2004.
The quota was filled for the SBS Hospitality industry (hotel and catering work) on 31 March of this year, so currently no SBS work permit applications can be made for jobs in this sector. However, the quota for the Food Manufacturing industry part of the scheme (meat and fish processing and mushroom production only) was not filled and applications are continuing to be accepted.
New applications for both SBS Hospitality and Food Manufacturing industry work permits can be made from 1 June.
From 1 June 2004, the existing overall quota for the Sectors Based Scheme will be cut by 25 per cent. There will be a quota of 6,000 SBS permits for the food processing sector and 9,000 SBS permits for the hospitality sector. These quotas will be released in two half-yearly stages.
A related programme, the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS) will see a 35% reduction on the current quota in 2005 to 16,250 places.
The Home Office will also introduce measures intending to ensure that applicants participating in these schemes will leave the United Kingdom when their work permits expire. Country-specific quotas will be introduced within the overall quotas. Country-specific quotas will only be made available where the Home Office is certain that the source country will accept their nationals back if they are found to be in the UK illegally.
The Home Office Minister has announced that these reductions are based on the level of take-up of these schemes by EU accession country nationals, prior to joining the EU on 1 May.