Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Welsh Government on the withdrawal of the visa concession for temporary employment as sheep shearers.

Immigration Rules concessionary arrangements are temporary and subject to regular Ministerial review. The sheep shearing concession had been operating for 14 years and closed after the 2025 shearing season as it is reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to fill this workforce gap. To provide plenty of time to plan and transition to new arrangements the sector was informed last year that the concession would not be renewed again.

In addition, those in the UK on visas which allow general work rights, such as dependants or Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders, are free to take up work as a sheep shearer subject to the relevant visa restrictions.