You can apply for a Tier 2 (Sportsperson) visa if all of the following apply:
Speak to our assessment team now to confirm your eligibility and options for free on 0800 970 2727.
Your sponsor is the governing body
endorsing your application. They’ll assign you a certificate of sponsorship to
prove they’re sponsoring you.
You can apply for a visa
up to 3 months before the day you’re due to start work in the UK. This date is
listed on your certificate of sponsorship.
You should get a decision on your
visa within 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK.
You can come to the UK with a Tier 2
(Sportsperson) visa for up to 3 years.
You can apply to extend this visa for
up to another 3 years to a maximum stay of 6 years.
You can:
● work for your sponsor in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship
● do a second job in certain circumstances
● play for your national team in the UK
● work as a sports broadcaster
● do voluntary work
● study as long as it doesn’t interfere with the job you’re sponsored for
● travel abroad and return to the UK
● bring family members with you
You can’t:
● get public funds
● start or run a business
● apply for a second job until you’ve started working for your sponsor
You need to:
● have a valid certificate
of sponsorship for your job
● prove your knowledge of
English
● 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
You need to have an
eligible qualification if you’re switching from a Tier 4 visa.
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
certificate of sponsorship reference number once. You must use it 3 months
after getting it.
You must have £945 in your
bank account for 90 days before the date you apply.
You won’t need this money if you have
either a:
● Fully approved (‘A-rated’)
sponsor who can give you at least £945 to cover your costs for a month if you
need it (your sponsor must confirm this on the certificate of sponsorship)
● Tier 2 visa and you’re
applying from within the UK
You may need to prove your
knowledge of the English language when you apply.
You can prove your
knowledge of English by either:
● passing an approved
English language test with at least CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening
● having an academic
qualification that was taught in English and is recognised by UK NARIC as being
equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD
You may be able to meet
the English language requirement in other ways.
You won’t need to prove your
knowledge of English if you’re a national of one of the following countries:
● Antigua and Barbuda
● Australia
● the Bahamas
● Barbados
● Belize
● Canada
● Dominica
● Grenada
● Guyana
● Jamaica
● New Zealand
● St Kitts and Nevis
● St Lucia
● St Vincent and the
Grenadines
● Trinidad and Tobago
● USA
When you apply you’ll need to
provide:
● your certificate of
sponsorship reference number
● proof of your knowledge of
English
● a bank or building society
statement or letter that shows you have enough personal savings
● a current passport or
travel document to prove you can travel – you need a page in your passport
that’s blank on both sides for your visa
● expired passports or
travel documents if you need them to show your travel history
● your tuberculosis test
results if you’re from a listed country
● a letter of endorsement
from your sport’s governing body, if you’re applying as a sportsperson or coach
If your documents aren’t
in English or Welsh you’ll need to send a certified translation.
You might need to provide more
documents depending on your circumstances.
You can apply to extend your stay in
the UK under a Tier 2 (Sportsperson) visa.
You should include any
dependants who are on your current visa on your application to extend. This
includes children who have turned 18 during your stay. They’ll also need to
submit a separate application.
You should apply before
your current visa expires.
You must have your
endorsement by your sport’s governing body renewed and a new certificate of
sponsorship reference number.
You can apply to extend
your stay in the UK with a Tier 2 (Sportsperson) visa for up to 3 years and 14
days.
You must leave the UK after this. You
can only apply for this visa again if either:
● 12 months have passed and
your previous certificate of sponsorship was granted for less than 3 months
● you can show you’ll be
paid a gross annual salary of £159,600 or more
You can apply to change
(‘switch’) from another visa to a Tier 2 (Sportsperson) visa.
You should apply before
your current visa expires.
You must meet the Tier 2
(Sportsperson) eligibility requirements and you must already be in the UK under
any of the following visas or schemes:
● Tier 1 visa
● Tier 2 (General) visa
● Tier 2 (Minister of
Religion) visa
● Tier 2 (Intra-company
Transfer) visa under the Immigration Rules in place before 6 April 2010 and
you’re applying to change sponsor
● Tier 4 visa – if you have
an eligible qualification or you’ve done at least 12 months of a PhD
● Tier 5 (Temporary Worker –
Creative and Sporting) for a job as a professional footballer
You can also switch to
this visa if you meet the eligibility requirements and you’re a:
● dependent partner of
someone with a Tier 4 visa
● representative of an
overseas business
You must leave the UK and
make your Tier 2 (Sportsperson) application from abroad if you’re not in any of
these categories.
You must have been
sponsored by a licensed tier 4 sponsor to get one of the following
qualifications:
● a UK bachelors degree
● a UK masters degree
● a postgraduate certificate
in education
● a professional graduate
diploma of education
You must have completed at
least 12 months’ study during your most recent stay in the UK. This can be
through a licensed Tier 4 sponsor or another visa that allowed you to study.
You can apply to extend
your stay in the UK with a Tier 2 (Sportsperson) visa for up to 3 years and 14
days.
You must leave the UK
after this and can only apply for this visa again if either:
● 12 months have passed and
your previous certificate of sponsorship was granted for less than 3 months
● you can show you’ll be
paid a gross annual salary of £159,600 or more
Decisions are made:
● within 8 weeks for online
applications
● within 10 days if you’re
able to use the Tier 2 priority application service
● usually on the same day if
you use the premium service
You’ll be told if it will
take longer, for example if:
● your supporting documents
need to be verified
● you need to attend an
interview
● your application is
complex because of your personal circumstances, for example you have a criminal
conviction
Once you’ve applied you can stay in
the UK until you’ve been given a decision, as long as you applied before your
last visa expired.
Your family members (‘dependants’)
must apply to join or remain with you in the UK if they’re from outside the
European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
A ‘dependant’ is any of
the following:
● your husband, wife or
partner
● your child under 18
● your child over 18 if
they’re currently in the UK as a dependant
Read the guidance on
dependant applications before you apply.
They’ll also have to pay
the healthcare surcharge as part of their application.
You must show that your
dependants can be supported while they’re in the UK.
Each dependant must have
£630 available to them whether they apply with you or separately. This is in
addition to the £945 you must have to support yourself.
You must have proof you
have the money, and that it’s been in your bank account or your dependant’s
bank account for at least 90 days before you or they apply.
Example:
You must have £2,205 if
you want to bring your partner and one child with you to the UK (£945 to
support yourself + £630 for your partner + £630 for your child).
You won’t need evidence of
your savings if you have a:
● Fully approved (‘A-rated’)
sponsor
● certificate of sponsorship
stating that your sponsor will give each of your dependants at least £630 to
cover their costs for a month if they need it
If you have children while
you’re in the UK, you can apply for permission for them to stay.
You must do this if you
want to travel in and out of the UK with your child.
When you apply you must send a full
UK birth certificate showing the names of both of your child’s parents.
Your family members (dependants) must
apply to join or remain with you in the UK if they’re from outside the European
Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
A dependant is any of the
following:
● your partner
● your child under 18
● your child over 18 if
they’re currently in the UK as a dependant
If you have children while
you’re in the UK, you can apply for permission for them to stay.
You must do this if you
want to travel in and out of the UK with them.
When you apply, send a full UK birth
certificate for each child showing the names of both parents.
