GovWire

Foreign nationals who arrive directly into UK waters for the purposes of working are considered to be an offshore worker undersection 11A 1971 Act unless an exemption applies. UK waters are the territorial waters (12 nautical miles from the UK coastline) and all internal waters.

All offshore workers need permission to work before they start work in the UK. It is likely that permission would be in the form of a work or visitor visa, if the work is a permitted activity.

For more information, including exemptions, please see the Seafarer guidance.

Offshore worker notification requirements

The Immigration (Offshore Worker Notification and Exemption from Control (Amendment) Regulations 2023 set out that from 12 April 2023, an offshore worker must report when they arrive in, and leave, UK waters.

The sponsor of an offshore worker is responsible for fulfilling the notification requirement and must notify the Home Office of the dates when that worker:

• first arrives in UK waters at the beginning of the job for which they are being sponsored

• leaves UK waters at the end of the job for which they are being sponsored

The sponsor must make the relevant notification:

• no earlier than the date the worker arrives in or leaves (whichever is relevant) UK waters

• no later than 10 working days after the date the worker arrives in or leaves (whichever is relevant) UK waters

The notification must be made by emailing the Offshore worker notification inbox (offshoreworkernotificationsinbox@homeoffice.gov.uk) with the following information:

• the sponsor licence reference number

• the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number of the offshore worker

• the name, date of birth and nationality of the offshore worker

• the name of the ship or vessel on which the offshore worker will be based

• the date they arrived in, or left, UK waters (as appropriate)

More information on sponsorship reporting duties can be found in section C1 of Part 3 of the sponsor guidance.

Offshore workers without a sponsor should notify the Home Office each time they arrive in and leave UK waters by emailing the offshore worker notification inbox: offshoreworkernotificationsinbox@homeoffice.gov.uk.

The email should include the following information:

• name, date of birth, nationality

• date they arrived in, or left, UK waters (as appropriate)

• activity being undertaken in UK waters

• immigration route which they are arriving in/leaving from UK waters on

• vessel name

The relevant notification must be made:

• no earlier than the date they arrived in or left (whichever is relevant) UK waters

• no later than 10 working days after the date they arrived in or left (whichever is relevant) UK waters

Alternatively, notifications can be made by post to:

Useful links

Sponsorship: guidance for employers and educators

Visit: caseworker guidance

UK visa sponsorship for employers