With growing concern and media attention surrounding the current shortage of HGV drivers and the Road Haulage Association estimating there is now a shortage of more than 100,000 qualified drivers in the UK, the government has announced a temporary concession to provide an opportunity for overseas HGV fuel drivers to come and work in the UK to assist in limiting the disruption caused by the current shortage.
On Saturday 2 October, the Home Office published the details of this new concession, which will allow eligible drivers to come and work in the UK immediately. This opportunity is open to eligible drivers who wish to work in the UK on a temporary basis as an HGV fuel tanker driver for certain specified employers.
Who is eligible for the concession?
This concession is only available for drivers who arrive in the UK between 1 October 2021 and 15 October 2021. This is a very short window for drivers to seek to enter the UK and rely on the concession and it’s therefore crucial that any individual or business wishing to take advantage of this new concession must act quickly.
In order to be eligible to apply for this concession, an individual must:
- be a non-visa national (this includes nearly all EU citizens, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, USA etc) and hold a valid national passport;
- hold an EU, EEA or Swiss licence allowing them to drive HGV fuel tankers; and
- hold an endorsement letter issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
When issuing an endorsement letter to a driver, the BEIS will conduct detailed checks into the individual to ensure that they are satisfied with the personal information provided and the driver’s intended employment.
On arrival in the UK, the relevant documents as detailed above must be presented to a Border Force official who will then check the driver’s eligibility to enter and work in the UK and confirm that:
- they are satisfied that the driver is in the UK for genuine employment as a driver;
- the driver can maintain and accommodate themselves without public funds (which will not be available); and
- the driver intends to leave the UK at the end of the period.
The Border Force official is entitled to refuse entry and permission on a range of grounds (including criminal record, false representations etc). Those who are granted permission to enter and work in the UK under this concession will be able to work with the specified employer until 31 March 2022.
Are there any additional concessions for other HGV drivers?
The government had previously announced that visas would be made available for 5,000 HGV drivers. However, following news of the above concession, we now know that this figure of 5,000 will be made up of 4,700 food haulage drivers and 300 fuel tanker drivers. The 4,700 food haulage drivers will be allowed entry to the UK under a separate scheme to the current concession, which will be announced later this month.
The current shortage of HGV drivers in all industries is causing disruption and chaos across the country, and the government hopes that these additional concessions will assist in alleviating some of this pressure they are under, particularly in the run up to the Christmas period.
If you would like to discuss this new concession and what it means for you or your business, or any other immigration matters, then we are here to help. Please contact our Business Immigration Team.
