Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many seafarers working in UK waters have been issued with visas under the points-based immigration system since 1 January 2021.

The continental shelf workers immigration rules concession is for workers employed on offshore installations that are outside UK waters. The concession allows workers to exceptionally live in the United Kingdom during their shore leave. Foreign national workers do not need permission to work outside UK waters.

The number of visas issued by occupation and industry are published on Gov.uk Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK: (www.gov.uk).