Tier 3 has not yet been implemented, and there is currently no information to show when it will be introduced. It was designed to replace the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS) and the Sector Based Scheme (SBS).

The agricultural industry and the catering industry were the main beneficiaries of the above schemes, with a supply of workers allowed entry for a limited period of time to take vacancies that could not be filled from the resident workforce. Unlike most other employment based categories, these positions did not permit the dependants of workers to come to the UK, and there was no possibility of switching to any other category.