International Sportsperson Visa

Herrington Carmichael is a full service law firm offering legal advice to UK and international businesses as well as individuals and families.
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International Sportsperson Visa

The International Sportsperson visa route is for an elite sportsperson or qualified sports coach who is internationally established and can make a significant contribution to the development of their sport at its highest level in the UK.

This is a sponsored route, and therefore the business requires a sponsor licence. The route has both short-term (up to 12 months) and long-term (over 12 months) options.

There’s a two-stage process to obtain a visa in this route:

  1. Obtain a Governing Body Endorsement from the Governing Body for the relevant sport; and
  2. Apply for entry clearance or permission to stay under the International Sportsperson visa route.

How we can help

We have experience of preparing successful International Sportsperson visa applications on behalf of our clients. We pride ourselves on the presentation of our applications to the Home Office. You can be assured that your application process will be managed in a professional and organised manner.

Key contact

Usof Shah PNG
Usof Shah
Legal Director

What our clients say about us

We have also greatly benefited from the excellent work of Usof Shah, Immigration Director, whose expertise has been instrumental in helping our members address critical skills shortages in the construction industry. Usof has provided clear, actionable guidance on immigration laws, empowering our members to legally employ skilled foreign workers and sustain their businesses. His commitment extends beyond traditional legal services - he has delivered live webinars and offered free advice to some of our SME members, which was highly valued and, in several cases, helped save their companies. This combination of deep legal expertise, accessibility, and genuine care for clients' success sets him apart from others in the field.

Throughout my UK career, I came across many solicitors and solicitor firms. But Herrington Carmichael is the best so far. Their quick response, wider knowledge, and straightforward decisions come with a very competitive advisory fee. I can easily recommend them, and I did. Their success rate for me is 100%. In a nutshell, they are brilliant.

The individual deals with my requirements and makes sure I fully understand what he is advising and what the best way to proceed is.

Responsive, commercial, and able to explain immigration requirements in clear, simple terms.

The individuals we work with stand out for being approachable, knowledgeable, and responsive. Usof Shah, in particular, has been extremely professional, helpful, and practical in his advice.

Usof Shah stands out for his strong combination of technical expertise, commercial awareness, and responsiveness. He is able to explain complex immigration matters in a clear and practical way while remaining highly approachable and solutions-oriented throughout the process. What differentiates him from competitors is the level of personal attention and ownership he brings to matters. He is proactive, detail-oriented, and demonstrates a strong understanding of the operational and business needs of his clients rather than approaching matters from a purely technical perspective. I have particularly valued his responsiveness, clear communication, and ability to manage matters efficiently under tight timelines. He consistently provides pragmatic advice and maintains a high level of professionalism, which creates a strong sense of confidence and reliability throughout the engagement.

Usof Shah and his team stood out for their professionalism, responsiveness, and clear communication.

Herrington Carmichael’s team stands out for its strong expertise in immigration matters, combined with a highly personalized and responsive service. Over the past few years, they supported me and three members of my family, managing each of our individual cases efficiently and professionally. Compared to other firms, they are notably more organized and responsive.

Thank you for helping me to apply the exceptional assurance and I got the application succeed very quickly.

Usof was a pleasure to work with and his wealth of knowledge on the topic of immigration law was evident. We collaboratively delivered a successful webinar to hundreds of construction professionals on the post-Brexit immigration system and Usof was able to answer complex questions on the spot, demonstrating his attention to detail and professionalism. We would not hesitate to recommend Usof and Herrington Carmichael.

Usof Shah has been a great source of information and guidance both in setting up to become a sponsor and also in getting candidates sponsored.

The team provides useful guidance and support on the pitfalls and processes of being a sponsor. The team helps set everything up to become a sponsor as well as assisting with processing CoS applications.

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Meet our experts

Dedicated professionals ready to assist you.

Usof Shah PNG
Legal Director
Neelu-Gurung-PNG
Paralegal

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to your most pressing questions about our services and processes.

This visa allows elite sportspersons or internationally established qualified sports coaches to live and work in the UK.

Yes. As part of the application process, you will need to confirm details relating to your employer. Your employer must have a valid sponsor licence and issue you with a Certificate of Sponsorship before you apply for your visa.

Yes. You can do this through either of the below options:

  • Passing the Secure Engligh Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider.
  • Have a GCSE at A level, Scottish National Qualification leve 4 or 5, Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English, or gained it through study at a UK school under the age of 18.
  • Have a degree level qualification that was taught in English. Ecctis will need to approve that it is valid.

You will need to:

  • show that you have paid Ecctis to check that your qualification is valid
  • a valid passport
  • proof of English requirement

You may also need to provide the following:

  • your biometric residence permit (BRP) or online proof of your immigration status if you are swapping from one visa to another
  • proof of your relationship with your partner and children if they are joining
  • Tuberculosis test results if you are from a qualifying country.

The visa can last for up to 3 years. Following the initial grant of leave, you can apply to extend your visa, subject to meeting the eligibility requirements.

Yes, subject to meeting eligibility requirements, you can apply for your partner and children aged under 18 to join you as your dependants.

You may be eligible to apply for another visa, like the Skilled Worker Visa.

Yes, international sportspersons who have, at any point in the preceding 5 years been granted leave as an international sportsperson for a period exceeding 12 months, can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after 5 years’ continuous residence in the UK.

Current processing times are 8 weeks when applying from inside the UK, or 3 weeks when applying from overseas. For an additional fee, you can prioritise your application and receive an expedited decision. Please note, these timeframes are a guideline, and some applications do take longer to receive a decision.

The fees charged by Home Office can be found on their official website here. You will also need to pay the healthcare surcharge, found on the Home Office website.

Yes. You will need to attend an appointment at your nearest visa centre to have your photograph taken and to submit your fingerprints. This is for your visa.