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Sports

The Sports Visitors category has been implemented to enable sportspersons coming to the United Kingdom for one of the following purposes, and to do so outside the Points Based System.

Sportspersons coming to base themselves here to work will need to qualify to do so under either Tier 2 or Tier 5 routes.

Sportspersons include:

• amateurs and professionals coming to the UK to take part either as an individual or as a team in a specific event, tournament – e.g. Wimbledon or series of events see 2.8.1), or

• members of the technical or support staff of amateurs or professionals, who are attending for the same event. Examples of such staff include team managers, personal coaches, doctors, physiotherapists, dieticians, bodyguards and press officers, polo grooms, providing they are not intending to base themselves at the stables for the season;

• officials, including those officials coming on a voluntary basis, attending the same event as the sportsperson. Examples include linespersons and umpires;

• amateurs and professionals coming for a specific one-off charity sporting event or exhibition match, as either an individual or member of an overseas team provided the organisers are not making a profit and the sportsperson is not receiving a fee. For example the London Marathon.

• those seeking entry for personal appearances and promotions such as book signings, television interviews, negotiating contracts or to discuss sponsorship deals.

• sportspeople seeking entry for `trials’ provided that the trial is not in front of an audience, either paying or non-paying

• those coming for training for short periods (whether as an individual or as part of team), provided that they are not basing themselves here, not being paid by a UK sporting body or joining a UK team and any matches they are involved in are of the friendly/exhibition type

For your ease of reference - Definitions:

Series of Events

A series of events is defined as two or more linked events, such as a tour or rounds of a competition, which do not add up to a league or a season. For example Football teams coming to the United Kingdom to participate in pre-season friendly matches against English clubs, in competitions. This would also include those coming for a series of events that, although not part of the same competition, are being held in the UK at the same time. For example the AEGON Tennis Championship is held immediately before Wimbledon and we would not expect players to return home and seek fresh entry clearance.

Amateur

In the Immigration Rules an `amateur’ is defined for the purpose of distinguishing him/her from a professional who is paid a salary for participation in sport (e.g. someone contracted to play for a sport or club) as a person who engages in a sport solely for personal enjoyment and who is not intending to derive a living, either wholly or in part, from the sport. For practical purposes though both amateur and professional sportspeople may enter as sports visitors in the circumstances set out above. Amateurs may not receive fees and sponsorship but may receive cash prizes as well as board, lodging and living expenses.

Sportspersons, who are amateurs not paid for playing at home, will be able to join a club in the UK as a sports visitor provided that the team is made up of wholly, or predominately amateur players and they are not being paid by the club other than board, lodgings and living expenses. Predominantly amateur would normally be considered to be that the club has only one or two professional players. The club must be regarded within their sport as an amateur one (i.e. one where the players are not normally paid or contracted to play for the club) and must not be in a professional league.