International Sportsperson visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa Name	International Sportsperson visa
Stay	Up to 3 years per application; extendable
Cost	£340 to £943 application fee
Healthcare Surcharge	Usually £1,035 per year
Eligibility Timing	Apply up to 3 months before work begins
Decision Time	3 weeks outside UK; 8 weeks inside
Work Rights	Sponsored sport role, eligible second jobs, voluntary work
Study Rights	Permitted if sponsored job is not disrupted
Medicare / NHS	Covered via immigration healthcare surcharge
Travel Facility	Multiple entry; international travel permitted
Settlement (ILR)	Eligible after 5 continuous years
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family Sponsorship	Eligible partner and dependent children
Visa Record	eVisa digital status record

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Purpose and Overview

The International Sportsperson visa allows elite sportspeople and internationally established, qualified coaches to work in the UK. The applicant's sport governing body must endorse that their employment will develop the sport in the UK at the highest level.

This route replaces the Sportsperson (T2) visa and the sporting subcategory of the Temporary Worker - Creative and Sporting visa (T5).

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify, applicants must:

• Hold a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number from an approved UK sponsor.
• Hold an official letter of endorsement from the relevant UK sports governing body.
• Be paid at least the UK National Minimum Wage and comply with weekly working hour limits.
• Meet the financial requirement (personal savings).
• Meet the English language requirement (if applying for a stay longer than 12 months).
• Provide valid travel documents, 5-year travel history, and tuberculosis (TB) test results (if applying from a listed country).

Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)

• The CoS is an electronic record issued by the employer.
• The reference number can only be used once and must be used within 3 months of receipt.

Financial Support (Maintenance)

• Applicant requirement: At least £1,270 held in personal bank funds for at least 28 consecutive days (ending within 31 days of the visa application date).
• Exemptions:
  • Applicant has been living in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 continuous months.
  • The sponsor certifies maintenance up to £1,270 on the CoS under "Additional data."

English Language Requirement

Required only when applying to stay for longer than 12 months. Applicants can satisfy this by:

• Being a national of an exempt English-speaking country.
• Holding a degree taught in English awarded by a UK institution.
• Holding an overseas degree evaluated by Ecctis as equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher and taught in English.
• Passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) at CEFR level A1 or higher in speaking and listening.
• Having proved English proficiency in a previous successful visa application.

Exempt Nationalities: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British overseas territories, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, USA.

Costs and Fees

Application Fees (Per Person)

• Up to 12 months: £340
• More than 12 months (applying outside the UK): £819
• More than 12 months (extending or switching inside the UK): £943

Additional Costs

• Immigration Healthcare Surcharge: Usually £1,035 per person per year of leave requested.
• Biometric enrolment: Free of charge (unless priority processing or commercial lounge services are selected).

Visa Duration and Settlement

• Initial Grant: Up to 3 years, depending on the CoS dates.
• Extensions: Can be extended for up to 3 years at a time as long as eligibility continues.
• Permanent Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain): Possible after 5 years of continuous residence if the applicant held at least one International Sportsperson visa lasting longer than 12 months.

Rights and Conditions

Permitted Activities

• Work for the sponsor in the employment described on the CoS.
• Play for the national team in the UK.
• Work as a sports broadcaster.
• Do voluntary work.
• Study (provided it does not interfere with sponsored duties).
• Travel abroad and re-enter the UK.
• Work in a secondary job for up to 20 hours per week, provided it is either in the same profession as the main job or on the Skilled Worker immigration salary list (must have already started working for the primary sponsor).

Prohibited Activities

• Accessing public funds (welfare benefits or State Pension).
• Starting or running an independent business.
• Commencing a second job before beginning work with the main sponsor.
• Undertaking second jobs exceeding 20 hours/week or outside permitted categories without obtaining a new sponsored visa.

Family Dependants

Eligible partners and children can apply to accompany or join the main visa holder. Dependant visas expire on the same date as the main applicant's visa.

Eligible Dependants

• Spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner (must prove 2 years of cohabitation or 2 years of ongoing relationship commitment if living apart).
• Children under 18 at the time of application (including children born in the UK).
• Children over 18 currently residing in the UK as existing dependants.

Financial Maintenance for Dependants

Funds must be held for 28 consecutive days within 31 days of application (unless exempt by 12 months UK residence or sponsor certification):

• Partner: £285
• First child: £315
• Each additional child: £200

Dependant Rights

• Dependants can study and work in any sector, except as a professional sportsperson or coach.
• Dependants cannot access public funds.
• Eligible for settlement after 5 continuous years in the UK.

Switching and Extending Inside the UK

Applications to extend or switch must be submitted online before the current visa expires.

Switching Rules

Most UK visa holders can switch into this route, except those currently on:

• Standard Visit visas (unless holding visitor permission for permitted sporting activities).
• Short-term Student or Parent of a Child Student visas.
• Seasonal Worker or Domestic Worker in a Private Household visas.
• Immigration bail or permission granted outside the immigration rules.

Student visa switchers must have completed their course, have a job start date after course completion, or have completed at least 24 months of full-time PhD study.

Required Documents

• Valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number.
• Official governing body endorsement letter.
• Valid passport or travel identity document showing nationality.
• Expired passports/travel documents (to demonstrate 5-year travel history).
• Proof of personal savings (e.g., bank statements), unless maintenance is certified by the sponsor.
• Proof of English language proficiency (for stays >12 months).
• Valid tuberculosis (TB) test certificate (if applicable).
• Certified translations for any documents not issued in English or Welsh.
• Full UK birth certificate showing both parents' names for any child born in the UK.

Application Process

1. Endorsement: Obtain governing body endorsement and sponsor-issued CoS reference number.
2. Apply Online: Submit the application form up to 3 months prior to the employment start date. Dependants apply using separate linked online forms with the main applicant's GWF or UAN reference number.
3. Pay Fees: Pay the application fee and healthcare surcharge online.
4. Identity Verification:
   • Scan identity documents using the UK Immigration: ID Check smartphone app, or
   • Book an appointment to provide biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) or UKVCAS service point.
5. Receive eVisa: Successful applicants receive an email detailing status access via a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) online account.

Important Warnings

• Travel Restrictions During In-Country Processing: Applicants applying to switch or extend from inside the UK must not travel outside the Common Travel Area (UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands) while their application is under consideration. Travelling outside this area automatically withdraws the application.
• CoS Expiry: A Certificate of Sponsorship reference must be submitted in a visa application within 3 months of being assigned.
• Secondary Employment: A second job not matching the primary profession or the Skilled Worker salary list requires a completely new CoS and a separate approved visa application before commencing work.