Defra extends Seasonal Workers Pilot to 30,000 visas 23 December 2020 | The government has extended the Seasonal Workers Pilot for another year and expanded its size The number of farm workers allowed to travel to the UK to pick fruit and vegetables will be trebled for the 2021 harvest, the government has announced. The Seasonal Workers Pilot has been extended and expanded for an additional year, from 10,000 visas to 30,000 for 2021. The scheme, first announced in 2018, gives farming businesses the opportunity to employ migrant workers for up to six months. The UK requires around 80,000 seasonal farm workers every year and the Office for National Statistics has stated that 99% of these come from countries within the EU.