International Sportsperson Visa

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If you are an elite sportsperson or a qualified coach who dreams of taking your sport to the highest level, you can apply for an International Sportsperson visa.

By doing so, you will have the opportunity to showcase your skills and talent on an international stage, while also developing your sport in the UK.

Remember that your sport's governing body must endorse your application.

have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for your job

prove that you can speak and understand English, if you’re applying to stay for longer than 12 months

have personal savings so you can support yourself when you arrive in the UK

show you can travel and your travel history over the last 5 years

have tuberculosis test results if you’re from a listed country

Your employer must make sure your job pays at least the minimum wage and follows the UK rules for how many hours a week you work. If your employer does not do this, your application will be refused.

Getting sponsored

Your sponsor is your employer. They’ll give you a Certificate of Sponsorship to prove they’re sponsoring you.

Certificate of sponsorship

A Certificate of Sponsorship holds your personal details and information about the job you’ve been offered. It’s an electronic record, not a paper document. Your sponsor will give you a Certificate of Sponsorship reference number to add to your application.

You can only use your reference number once. You must use it within 3 months of getting it.

Sufficient Funds

You must have at least £1,270 in your bank account to show you can support yourself in the UK.

You will need to have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of applying for your visa.

If your employer can support, you financially, your Certificate of Sponsorship must confirm this. Your employer will need to complete the ‘Sponsor Certifies Maintenance’ section on your certificate. This is under ‘Additional data’.

Frequently Asked Questions

3 weeks if you are applying from outside the UK.

8 weeks if you are applying from inside the UK.

You, your partner, or children will each need to Pay the application fee:

If you’re staying up to 12 months, the fee is £298 per person.
If you’re staying for longer than 12 months, the fee depends on whether you’re:
applying outside the UK - £719 per person
applying inside the UK to extend or switch - £827 per person.

Your visa can last for up to 3 years. You can extend it as long as you’re still eligible.

After 5 years, you may be able to settle permanently in the UK if you’ve had at least one visa that lasted longer than 12 months.

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Having worked with UK Visas for more than eight years, I cannot recommend their services enough. We have worked with them on a wide variety of immigration topics, including complex licence matters (following acquisitions), day to day sponsorship processes, and reporting; and we have always received an amazing service. Members of the team are responsive and come back to our queries quickly, they are always polite, and go out of their way to be as helpful as possible. Thank you to all of the team for the wonderful ongoing support you provide!

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Arrange a consultation

Contact our IAA accredited visa consultants near London today!

For more than a decade we have been assisting businesses and individuals with immigration and visa enquiries, providing sound advice and successfully handling applications.

Please submit your details via our online enquiry form and our expert team will be in touch to progress your enquiry. Alternatively, you may contact us directly on the phone number below.

info@ukvisas.co.uk

01403 801801

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