The International Sportsperson visa is the primary immigration route for elite athletes who want to base themselves in the United Kingdom. Our comprehensive guide below explains the requirements, process, and fees involved. If you’re an athlete or proposed sponsor, contact us to discuss how we can assist you.
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An International Sportsperson visa is a medium to long-term visa for athletes who want to live, work, and compete in the UK. It’s the main immigration route for foreign footballers, rugby and cricket players, and other international sports stars looking to join a UK-based team.
The key requirements of the visa are:
If you can meet these requirements, then you’ll be able to apply for a visa for up to 3 years. The visa can be further extended inside the UK, and after 5 years, the visa holder and any dependants will be eligible for residency by applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
The International Sportsperson visa largely replicates the requirements of other sponsorship-based visas, such as the Skilled Worker visa. Therefore, to satisfy the full eligibility criteria, you must:
It’s important that your employer ensures your role meets the minimum salary criteria and adheres to all relevant policies on how many hours a week you can work.
Any application for an International Sportsperson visa requires a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to be issued by the sponsoring club or team (the employer). These digital certificates are issued using the Sponsorship Management System (SMS). To do this, the sponsor will need to hold a valid sponsor licence with an allocation of CoS’s.
Certificates of Sponsorship can be issued up to 3 months in advance of the visa application. The digital certificate contains the sportsperson's personal details and specifics about the job offer. Once the CoS is issued, your sponsor will provide you with a certificate of sponsorship reference number, which you will need to include in your application. This reference connects the CoS with the visa application.
A particular feature of the International Sportsperson visa is the Governing Body Requirement. Under this requirement, the relevant governing body for your sport must endorse the sponsorship and visa application. This endorsement effectively confirms your elite status in your specific sport.
A comprehensive list of governing bodies is available on the government website. Prominent examples include the Football Association (FA) for football and the English & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for cricket.
The English Language Requirement is only applicable if you are applying for a stay of 12 months or longer. In this instance, you will need to demonstrate your knowledge of the English language.
You can prove your English proficiency by either:
Further details on acceptable English language tests and the full list of majority English-speaking countries can be found in our English Language Knowledge Centre article.
The Maintenance Requirement applies to all applications unless one of the following applies:
If neither of the above apply, you must show you have at least £1,270 in your bank account to demonstrate that you can support yourself on your arrival to the UK. These funds must have been available for at least 28 consecutive days, with the 28th day falling within 31 days of your visa application. If you include your partner and any children in your application, you must also show that they can support themselves during their stay.
When applying for an international Sportsperson visa, you will need to provide the following information and documents:
If any of your documents are not in English or Welsh, you will need to provide a certified translation.
The application fee for an International Sportsperson visa varies based on the length of the visa. The cost of a visa for up to 12 months is £298. For longer visas of up to 3 years, you’ll pay either £719 for overseas applications or £827 for new applications or extensions made from inside the UK. You will also need to pay the applicable fee for each dependant that you include on the application. If you want to expedite the application using a priority service, an additional fee of between £500 and £1,000 per applicant will apply.
In addition to the application fee, you’ll also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. This amounts to £1,035 per adult per year and £776 per child per year. The fee is payable upfront when submitting your application.
The standard processing time for an International Sportsperson visa is around 3 weeks. These timescales can fluctuate depending on the complexity of your application and when you apply. If you need the visa in a rush, you should use the priority service. These can be selected when making your application online. For an additional fee of £500, applications are processed within 5 working days. Alternatively, you can pay an additional fee of £1,000 for the super priority service and get a decision the next working day.
Many clients choose First Migration for its long history of excellent service and track record of successful visa applications. However, what we feel is our biggest strength and what makes us unique is our small dedicated team that offers a truly personalised service. We genuinely love what we do, and our team relishes making a difference to the lives of our clients.
If your International Sportsperson visa is expiring and you want to remain in the UK, you’ll need to apply for an extension. This application for you and any dependants will need to be made before your current visa expires.
As part of the extension application, your sponsor will need to generate a new Certificate of Sponsorship for you. You’ll also need to obtain a new letter of endorsement from your sports governing body. Fortunately, you will not need to satisfy the maintenance, English language (assuming this has been satisfied previously), or tuberculosis requirements.
When applying for an extension, you’ll need to pay the appropriate visa application fees as well as the Immigration Health Surcharge.
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