The International Sportsperson visa is for elite sportspeople and qualified coaches who are internationally established and have a job with a licensed UK sponsor, usually a club. You need two things before you apply: an endorsement from the UK governing body for your sport (for cricket in England and Wales, that is the England and Wales Cricket Board) and a certificate of sponsorship from your club.
Pakistan produces world-class cricketers, hockey players and squash players, so this route comes up often. Here is how it works in 2026.
How the route works
The International Sportsperson visa replaced the old Sportsperson (T2) visa and the sporting part of the Temporary Worker Creative and Sporting (T5) visa. Your sport’s governing body must endorse you, confirming that:
- you are an elite sportsperson or qualified coach;
- you are internationally established at the highest level;
- your work in the UK will develop your sport here at the highest level.
Each governing body sets and publishes its own endorsement criteria, approved by the Home Office. Your club then assigns you a CoS. The club must pay the CoS fee itself; GOV.UK warns sponsors their licence may be revoked if they ask you to pay it.
Governing bodies for sports popular in Pakistan
| Sport | Approved UK governing body |
|---|---|
| Cricket (England and Wales) | England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) |
| Cricket (Scotland) | Cricket Scotland |
| Cricket (Northern Ireland) | Cricket Ireland |
| Field hockey (England) | England Hockey |
| Squash (England) | England Squash |
| Kabaddi | England Kabaddi Federation (UK) Registered |
| Snooker | World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association |
The full list is in the Immigration Rules, Appendix Sports Governing Bodies. Read your governing body’s published criteria before a club assigns your CoS.
Up to 12 months or longer: what changes
The rules depend partly on how long you are sponsored for. At the time of writing, GOV.UK lists:
- Fee: £340 per person for up to 12 months; £819 per person for longer stays when applying from outside the UK.
- English: only needed for stays over 12 months, at level A1 in speaking and listening, unless you are exempt or have proved it before.
- Health surcharge: usually £1,035 a year, per person.
- Money: £1,270 held for 28 days, unless your club certifies maintenance on your CoS.
A visa can last up to 3 years and can be extended while you stay eligible. After 5 years you may be able to settle, as long as at least one of your visas lasted longer than 12 months. The government has consulted on changes to settlement periods, so check GOV.UK when you plan. See the International Sportsperson page on GOV.UK.
What you can and cannot do
You can work for your sponsor in the role on your CoS, play for your national team in the UK, work as a sports broadcaster, do voluntary work, study, travel, and in certain circumstances take a second job once you have started with your sponsor. You cannot claim public funds or start or run a business.
Your partner and children under 18 can come as dependants. They need £285 for a partner, £315 for one child and £200 for each other child, unless your sponsor covers this.
Short tournaments: visitor rules may fit instead
Not every trip needs a work visa. Under the Standard Visitor rules, a professional sportsperson invited by a UK sports organisation or agent can be paid for an activity that relates directly to their sporting profession, such as taking part in a sporting event. You must show you are an established sportsperson in your home country, and GOV.UK says the engagement must take place in the first month of your visit. This “permitted paid engagement” now sits inside the Standard Visitor visa.
A season-long contract with a club, or coaching work, is different. That is employment, and it normally needs the International Sportsperson visa. Our guides to the Standard Visitor visa and permitted activities for UK visitors explain the limits.
Common mistakes we see from Pakistan applications
- Playing or coaching for pay on a visit visa. A club “overseas player” deal is normally work, not a visit.
- Paying an agent for a “sports visa”. A club cannot pass the CoS fee to you, and no agent can guarantee an endorsement.
- Not checking the endorsement criteria. Governing bodies look at objective evidence such as international appearances and records, not letters from local clubs.
- Gaps in travel history. You must show your travel history over the last 5 years, so keep old passports.
- Missing TB certificate. Players and coaches from Pakistan staying more than 6 months need one from a Home Office-approved clinic (IOM clinics operate in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Mirpur).
Document checklist
- CoS reference number from your UK club or sponsor.
- Letter of endorsement from the governing body.
- Valid passport and any expired passports showing your last 5 years of travel.
- English evidence, if staying more than 12 months.
- Bank statements, unless your sponsor certifies maintenance.
- TB certificate, and certified translations of any Urdu documents.
For general document standards, see our guide to UK visa supporting documents.
FAQ
Do I need IELTS for the International Sportsperson visa?
Only if you are applying to stay more than 12 months, and then only at A1 level in speaking and listening, through an approved test or other accepted evidence.
Can a club cricketer from Pakistan come on a visit visa?
Only for activities the visitor rules allow, such as a specific event. Being employed by a club, or coaching, normally needs the International Sportsperson visa.
Does this visa lead to settlement?
It can, after 5 years, if at least one of your visas lasted longer than 12 months and you meet the other requirements.
Can my spouse work in the UK?
Dependants can generally work, but not as a sportsperson or coach. Check the conditions on their visa decision.
Applying from Pakistan? Send us a few lines about your case and we will tell you which route fits and what to prepare.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Rules and fees change; check GOV.UK before you apply.