Now that the transfer window is open we can help your club with immigration issues for any upcoming player signings. Our sports law team is on hand to advise clubs, individuals and intermediaries on all aspects of the UK’s immigration legislation.
We have an extensive network of contacts at the Home Office and worldwide, which helps us to offer practical and commercial solutions, allowing our clients to get on with their job on the pitch.
Examples of our recent work include:
- Advising and assisting a high profile Premier League player and his family with their immigration application
- Assisting a an EFL club with its sponsor licence application
- Advising and assisting a racing driver on his visa application to remain in the UK
- Advising and assisting a Premier League club on the loan of a player
- Coordination of advice to allow a team to move around the world for performance and tours
The following options are available for football players seeking to enter the UK:
- Tier 2: Sportsperson visa
- Tier 5: Creating and sporting visa (temporary worker)
Employing a football player or coach
If you are employing a player or coach, you will normally need to have one of the two types of visas mentioned above. The Home Office points-based system contains special categories and rules for those within the sporting industry and covers both professional and amateur players.
Players and coaches will have to be sponsored by an employer who will need to hold a Home Office sponsor licence. However, if you are intending to be in the UK briefly, i.e. for a single event or activity, a visitor visa may be more appropriate.
Players on loan
When you sponsor a player under either a Sportsperson visa or Temporary Worker visa, the Home Office place certain responsibilities on you if they are on loan to another club. It is also important to note that you can only loan and accept players if the FA permits it.
A player may only be loaned if they will return to your club after the loan period. As the sponsor, you will continue to be responsible for the player and must make appropriate arrangements with the loan club in order that you can continue to meet your sponsor duties. The loaning club does not need to make an application for an endorsement or have a sponsor licence.
Where a player is permanently transferred the new club must make an application for the player, both for an endorsement and a visa, which would need to be approved before the player begins to play for the new club.
For further information or for any immigration requirements please contact David Winnie on dpw@blasermills.co.uk.