On February 4, 2025, the UK government announced that the offshore well boat workers concession had been extended for a further three years. The concession remains temporary with a fixed end date of February 8, 2029. The previous concession was granted from February 8, 2024, until February 8, 2026. It should be noted that along with the most recent concession, the minimum annual salary has also increased to £41,700 from the previous £26,200. This is to bring the salary requirements for offshore well boat workers in line with the general salary threshold applicable to Skilled Workers.
The concession was initially introduced in February 2022 and sits outside the remit of UK Immigration Rules. It allows overseas workers employed by Home Office-approved well boat companies to enter the UK to work on well boats operating within UK territorial seas without needing a Skilled Worker visa. It remains the case that time spent in the UK under this concession will not count towards settlement requirements, and there continues to be no recourse to public funds.
The concession remains an important alternative for deploying specialist offshore workers without the need to use the Skilled Worker route. Thus, the extension of the concession will have immediate operational and cost implications for employers using overseas well boat crews in UK territorial waters.
How does this impact employers?
Employers that currently use the concession, or intend to use the concession in the future, should consider the following:
- Impact of the salary increase to the new minimum salary threshold of £41,700 per annum.
- Business continuity and sustainable operating models linked to the definitive end date for the concession, currently listed as February 8, 2029.
- Compliance risks relating particularly to border entry and required documentation.
For some employers, this change may accelerate the need to revisit crew structures, contractual terms, or mobilisation strategies.
What should affected employers do next?
Given the temporary nature of the concession, it is important that employers review their recruitment, retention, and budgeting policies to ensure their operating models will be sustainable on a long-term basis. Employers may wish to consult with their immigration advisors to review the following:
- Cost exposure and budget forecasting: This should be undertaken to ensure that the increased salary requirements can be met.
- Communication strategies: These should be implemented to ensure affected workers and stakeholders understand what the concession means for them from a travel, procedural, budgeting and compliance perspective.
- Strategic workforce planning: Agile and resilient recruitment and retention strategies will be essential to sustaining viable business operating models, enabled by access to global talent through alternative, compliant immigration pathways.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please reach out to your Account Manager or email us at [email protected].
This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case- or company-specific assessments.
