Factory Jobs in the UK for Foreign Workers: Pay, Rules and How to Apply (2026)

Factory and warehouse work is one of the most common jobs for people without a degree. In the UK, factories, food plants and warehouses need people to pack, sort and move goods every day. This guide shows what the work is like, what it pays in the UK, which papers you need and the safe way to apply.

Read this first: since July 2025 the UK gives its main work visa only for jobs at degree level. For most jobs without a degree there is no work visa any more. Two things are still open: seasonal farm and poultry work, and a short list of trade jobs. This guide shows what is real.

Work visa for factory and warehouse helpers	Not available since July 2025
What is open	Seasonal farm and poultry work
Legal minimum pay	£12.71 an hour for age 21 or more (from April 2026)
Seasonal visa fee	£340
English test	Not needed for seasonal work

See how to apply

What the work is like

In a factory you may work on a production line, pack products into boxes, check that goods have no faults, or clean machines at the end of a shift. In a warehouse you load and unload trucks, move boxes, pick orders with a hand scanner and keep the shelves in order. Some workers drive a forklift after training.

The work is physical and it repeats. You stand or walk for most of the day, and you may lift boxes many times an hour. Many sites run day and night, so shifts can start early in the morning, in the afternoon or late in the evening. Food plants can be cold and wet. Other plants can be loud, so you wear ear and eye protection.

Common job titles are warehouse worker, material handler, packer, picker, production worker, machine operator and general labourer.

Who can do this job

You do not need a degree, and many employers train new workers in the first days. What employers look for is simple:

You are fit enough to stand, walk and lift for a full shift.
You come on time, every day. This matters more than anything else.
You can follow safety rules and understand simple instructions.
You are ready to work shifts, nights or weekends.

Past work in a factory, a shop storeroom or a farm helps. A forklift licence or experience with machines can bring better pay. Men and women both do this work.

How much you can earn in the UK

Since 1 April 2026 the minimum wage in the UK for workers aged 21 or more is £12.71 an hour. It is called the National Living Wage. Factory and warehouse helpers in the UK usually earn the minimum wage or a little more, with extra pay for night shifts in some companies.

See how to apply

The visa reality: a UK company cannot sponsor a helper for factory or warehouse work. The job is below the level that the Skilled Worker visa asks for. The nearest legal work is the Seasonal Worker visa. On farms you pick, sort and pack fruit and vegetables, often in a packing house. In poultry plants, from October to December, you work on the line before Christmas. Seasonal workers are paid at least £12.71 an hour for at least 32 hours a week.

Hours and shifts

A normal week is about 40 hours, often in shifts of eight hours. Busy seasons, such as the months before the end of the year, bring extra hours. Ask how overtime is paid before you sign. Also ask how you get to the site, because many factories and warehouses are outside the city and public transport may not run at night.

What you need before you can work in the UK

The UK changed its rules on 22 July 2025. The main work visa, called the Skilled Worker visa, now asks for a job at university degree level and a salary of at least £41,700 a year in most cases. Since January 2026 it also asks for a higher level of English. Care worker jobs can no longer be given to new workers from abroad. For people without a degree, this is what is left:

The Seasonal Worker visa. Work on farms that grow fruit, vegetables and flowers, for up to six months, or work with poultry from 2 October to 31 December. In 2026 there are 41,000 places for farm work and 1,900 for poultry, and the same number of farm places is planned for 2027. You do not need a degree or an English test.
A short list of trade jobs. Some jobs below degree level, such as welders and some building trades, can still be sponsored because the UK lacks workers. The list in force now ends on 31 December 2026, and a shorter list is planned from 2027. Workers on this list cannot bring their family.

For both you need a sponsor with a licence from the UK government. For seasonal work, the sponsor is one of a few approved companies, called scheme operators, listed on GOV.UK. Nobody can promise you a visa.

Costs to plan for

For the Seasonal Worker visa you pay the visa fee of £340 yourself, and you pay your travel to the UK and back. There is no health charge for this visa. Seasonal workers usually live on the farm, in shared housing, and the law limits how much the farm can take from your pay for it. For the Skilled Worker visa the costs are much higher: the visa fee and a health charge of more than £1,000 for each year. Rent in the UK is high, above all in London. Plan your costs before you accept a job, so you know what you can save.

These are guides, not live vacancies. We are not an employer.

How to apply safely

Read the Seasonal Worker visa page on GOV.UK and open the list of approved scheme operators.
Apply on the website of an operator that recruits in your country. Applying to an operator is free.
If you are chosen, the operator gives you a certificate of sponsorship number.
Apply for the visa on GOV.UK yourself and pay the fee there, not to an agent.
Travel only when you have the visa, and keep the operator’s phone number with you.

See how to apply

Mistakes to avoid

Saying yes to a job without knowing the pay per hour and the hours per week.
Hiding a health problem that makes lifting unsafe for you.
Ignoring safety rules to work faster. Most injuries happen this way.
Paying an agent who promises a factory job. Real employers do not sell jobs.

Your rights as a worker in the UK

You must get at least the minimum wage and a payslip that shows your hours and what was taken from your pay.
Seasonal workers must be paid for at least 32 hours a week.
Full-time workers have 28 days of paid holiday a year, counted by the time they work.
Nobody can keep your passport, and you can leave a farm that treats you badly. You can ask your scheme operator to move you to another farm.
You can report abuse to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, and the service Acas gives free advice about work.

Protect yourself from fake job offers

Never pay for a certificate of sponsorship or for a job. Many people paid thousands of pounds for care and factory jobs that did not exist.
Check every sponsor on the register of licensed sponsors on GOV.UK.
For seasonal work, apply only to the approved scheme operators listed on GOV.UK. They do not charge you a fee to apply.
Be careful with offers for warehouse, hotel, cleaning or driver jobs “with UK visa”. These jobs cannot be sponsored.

Questions people ask

Do I need experience for factory work in the UK?

Often no. Many packing and warehouse jobs train you at the start. Experience and a forklift licence help you get hired faster and can raise your pay.

Is the work hard?

It is physical. You stand for hours and you may lift boxes all day. If you are healthy and used to manual work, you can do it.

Can I get a UK work visa for factory, hotel, cleaning or driver work?

No. Since July 2025 these jobs cannot be sponsored for the Skilled Worker visa. The only open way without a degree for most people is seasonal farm or poultry work.

Can I go to the UK as a visitor and look for work?

You can visit, but you cannot work, and you cannot change a visitor visa into a work visa inside the UK.

More guides for the UK

Last checked: November 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and pay change, so always confirm on the official websites before you decide. We are not a recruiter and we never ask for money.

See how to apply

These are guides, not live vacancies. We are not an employer.