How do I sponsor a migrant worker?
Sports governing bodies
This page lists the sports governing bodies whose endorsement you must obtain before you can employ migrants who meet the sports requirements in Tiers 2 and 5 of the points-based system.
On this page
The governing bodies
This list of governing bodies which also appears in Appendix M of the Immigration Rules, will be updated twice each year with any new governing bodies which have been approved by us.
You must get an endorsement from a governing body recognised by us before you can apply for a sponsor licence and assign certificates of sponsorship to migrants who meet the requirements in Tier 2 (Sports person) and Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting).
| Sport | Governing body | Governing body contact details and endorsement requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | Grand National Archery Society |
David Sherratt Phone: 01952 677 888 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for Archery. |
| Athletics | UK Athletics |
Human Resources Find the governing body endorsement requirements for Athletics. |
| Badminton |
Badminton England |
Badminston England Governing Body Endorsements Phone: 01908 268400 |
| Badminton | Badminton Scotland |
Badminton Scotland Governing Body Endorsements Phone: 0141-445 1218 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for Badmington. |
| Baseball | BaseballSoftball UK |
Jenny Fromer Find the governing body endorsement requirements for baseball |
| Basketball |
Basketball |
Nicky Brown Phone: 0114 284 1084 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for basketball. |
| Basketball | Basketball Ireland |
Phone: +353 (0) 1 4590211 |
| Boxing | British Boxing Board of Control |
British Boxing Board of Control Find the governing body endorsement requirements for boxing. |
| Canoeing | British Canoe Union |
Robert Deacon Phone: 0845 370 9510 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for canoeing. |
| Chinese Martial Arts | British Council for Chinese Martial Arts |
General Secretary Phone: 02476 394642 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for chinese martial arts. |
| Cricket | ECB |
Emma Davis-Bidgood Phone: 020 7432 1210 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for ECB |
| Cricket | Cricket Scotland |
Stewart Oliver Phone: 0131 313 7420 |
| Cricket | Cricket Ireland |
Cricket Ireland Mobile: 0353 87 6332548 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for Cricket Ireland. |
| Curling | Royal Caledonian Curling Club |
Bruce Crawford (CEO) Phone: 0131 333 3003 |
| Cycling | British Cycling |
Mrs Sarah Landry, HR Manager, British Cycling, Stuart Street |
| Equestrianism | British Horse Society |
Approvals Department Tel: 02476 840509 |
| Fencing | British Fencing |
The Chief Executive Officer |
| Field Hockey England |
England Hockey |
Stephen Barlow Phone: 01628 897500 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for field hockey England. |
| Cycling | British Cycling |
Mrs Sarah Landry Phone: 0161 274 2033 |
| Field Hockey Scotland |
Scottish Hockey Union |
Brent Deans Phone: 0131453 9070 |
| Field Hockey Wales | Welsh Hockey Union |
Chris Brewer Phone: 029 2057 3940 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for field hockey Wales. |
| Field Hockey Ireland | Irish Hockey Association |
Joan Morgan Phone: 00353 12600028 |
| Football England | The Football Association |
Laura Taylor Phone: 0844 980 8200 (ext 4629) Find the governing body endorsement requirements for the FA. |
| Football Scotland | Scottish Football Association |
Sandy Bryson Phone: 0141 616 6052 |
| Football Wales | The Football Association of Wales |
Tim Lane, Compliance Department Phone: 029 20435853 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for the FA of Wales. |
| Football Northern Ireland | Irish Football Association |
Tracey Scott Phone: 028 9066 9559 |
| Gymnastics |
British |
Michelle Jappy Phone: 0845 1297 129 Ext 2549 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for British Gymnastics. |
| Handball | British Handball Association |
Chief Executive Officer Find the governing body endorsement requirements for British handball. |
| Ice Hockey | Ice Hockey (UK) |
Andy French |
| Ice Skating | National Ice Skating Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
National Ice Skating Association |
| Jockeys and Trainers | British Horseracing Authority |
Sara Hay-Jahans Phone: 020 7152 0018 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for jockeys and trainers. |
| Judo | British Judo Association |
Tracey Forman Phone: 01509 631670 |
| Kabbadi | England Kabaddi Federation (UK) Registered |
Surinder Singh Manak |
| Lacrosse | English Lacrosse |
Karen Hughes |
| Motorcycling (except speedway) | Auto-cycle Union |
Gary Thompson MBE BEM Phone: 01788 566414 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for motorcycling. |
| Motorsports | The Royal Automobile Club Motor Sports Association Ltd |
Motor Sport House Allan Dean-Lewis Richard Nunn Find the governing body endorsement requirements for motorsports. |
| Netball | Welsh Netball Association |
Mike Fatkin Phone: 029 2023 7048 |
| Netball | England Netball | England Netball 9 Paynes Park Hitchin Herts SG5 1EH |
| Polo | Hurlingham Polo Association |
Milly Hodges or Sophie McPherson Phone: 01367 242828 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for polo. |
| Rowing | British Rowing |
HR Officer Find the governing body endorsement requirements for Rowing. |
| Rugby League | Rugby Football League |
RFL Phone: 0844 477 7113 (option 6) Find the governing body endorsement requirements for rugby league. |
| Rugby Union England | Rugby Football Union |
Andrew Rogers Phone: 0870 143 2434 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for rugby union. |
| Rugby Union Scotland | Scottish Rugby Union |
Richard McGhee Phone: 0131 346 5029 |
| Rugby Union Wales | Welsh Rugby Union |
Peter Owens Phone: 02920 822448 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for rugby union. |
| Rugby Union Ireland | Ulster Rugby |
Anita Bayne Phone: 028 9049 3222 Ext 237 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for rugby union, Ireland. |
| Shooting | British Shooting |
Programme Manager Find the governing body endorsement requirements for shooting. |
| Snooker | World Snooker |
Jessica Simmons Phone: 0117 3178207 |
| Speedway | British Speedway Promoters Association |
Liz Scott Phone: 01788 565603 |
| Squash and racketball | England Squash and Racketball |
Nick Rider Phone: 0161 438 4313 |
| Swimming, water polo, diving and synchronised swimming | British Swimming |
39 Granby Street Phone: 01509 632 282 |
| Table Tennis | English Table Tennis Federation |
Louise Larcombe Phone: 0114 261 8681 Find the governing endorsement requirements for table tennis. |
| Tennis | Lawn Tennis Association |
Coach Support Department Phone: 020 8487 7145 |
| Triathlon | British Triathlon |
Mhairi Billington Phone: 01509 226 157 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for triathlon. |
| Volleyball England | Volleyball England |
Leonardo Trench Tel: 01509 631 699, |
| Water Skiing | British Water Ski |
British Water Ski Phone: 01932 570885 Find the governing body endorsement requirements for water skiing. |
| Wrestling | British Wrestling Association |
BWA Administration Email: admin@britishwrestling.org Find the governing body endorsement requirements for wrestling. |
Code of practice for sports governing bodies
Sports governing bodies must agree to follow our code of practice before we recognise them. You can find a copy of the code of practice on the right side of this page. Only UK Border Agency recognised governing bodies will be able to endorse sponsors and migrants.
Where a sport has a governing body in each home country, we will recognise either one governing body from each home country, or where the home countries have agreed, one lead body to represent them all.
If there is no governing body
If there is no governing body that we have recognised for your sport, you should contact your own governing body listed on the Sport and Recreation Alliance or relevant home sport councils' website. You can find the Sport and Recreation Alliance website on the right side of this page.
You should ask your governing body to contact us on PBSsportpolicy@ukba.gsi.gov.uk to apply for recognition.
If your sport does not have a sports council governing body, you should contact us at the above email address and we will talk to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Sport and Recreation Alliance, or the relevant home sports council, to see if there is an appropriate body who could act as a governing body.
If we have had to approve a new governing body for your sport and we then grant your licence application, you may not be able to sponsor migrants straight away. This is because the new governing body must be added to Appendix M of the Immigration Rules before we can grant leave to any migrants in connection with that sport, under Tier 2 or Tier 5. The Immigration Rules are updated in April and October each year so it is important that you consider this before agreeing to sponsor any migrants.
Related documents
- Sporting code of practice for sport governing bodiesPDF 192KB opens in a new window