Immigration Rules Appendix Sports Governing Bodies

Home Office approved Sports Governing Bodies for International Sportsperson applications.

This appendix lists the Home Office approved Sports Governing Bodies for International Sportsperson applications. Applicants on this route must be endorsed by the relevant governing body from the table below, and the Certificate of Sponsorship relating to the application must confirm this endorsement.

Endorsements can only be issued to applicants covered by one of the following sports governing bodies.

Governing bodies cover the UK in its entirety unless otherwise stated, where they are only able to issue endorsements for the listed territory.

Sport (and relevant territory) Governing body
All sports not listed in Appendix Sports Governing Bodies of the Immigration Rules Home Office
Aikido British Aikido
American Football (England, Scotland, Wales) British American Football Association
Archery Archery GB
Athletics UK Athletics
Badminton (England only) Badminton England
Badminton (Scotland only) Badminton Scotland
Baseball / Softball BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK)
Basketball (England, Scotland, Wales) Basketball England
Basketball (Northern Ireland) Basketball Ireland
Boxing British Boxing Board of Control
Canoeing (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) British Canoeing (trading as Paddle UK)
Canoeing (Scotland) Scottish Canoe Association
Chinese Martial Arts British Council for Chinese Martial Arts
Cricket (England, Wales) England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
Cricket (Scotland) Cricket Scotland
Cricket (Northern Ireland) Cricket Ireland
Curling Royal Caledonian Curling Club
Cycling British Cycling
Darts The Darts Regulation Authority
Equestrianism British Horse Society
Fencing British Fencing
Field Hockey (England) England Hockey
Field Hockey (Scotland) Scottish Hockey Union
Field Hockey (Wales) Welsh Hockey Union
Field Hockey (Northern Ireland) Hockey Ireland
Football (England) The Football Association
Football (Scotland) Scottish Football Association
Football (Wales) The Football Association of Wales
Football (Northern Ireland) Irish Football Association
Gymnastics British Gymnastics
Handball British Handball
Ice Hockey Ice Hockey (UK)
Ice Skating British Ice Skating
Jockeys and Trainers British Horseracing Authority
Judo British Judo Association
Kabaddi England Kabaddi Federation (UK) Registered
Lacrosse English Lacrosse
Motorcycling (except speedway) (England, Scotland, Wales) Auto-cycle Union
Motorsports Motorsport UK
Netball (Wales) Wales Netball
Netball (England) England Netball
Netball (Northern Ireland) Netball Northern Ireland
Netball (Scotland) Netball Scotland
Polo Hurlingham Polo Association
Rowing British Rowing
Rugby League Rugby Football League
Rugby Union (England) Rugby Football Union
Rugby Union (Scotland) Scottish Rugby Union
Rugby Union (Wales) Welsh Rugby Union
Rugby Union (Northern Ireland) IRFU (Ulster Branch)
Sailing, windsurfing and powerboating Royal Yachting Association
Shooting British Shooting
Snooker The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association
Speedway British Speedway Promoters Association
Squash and racketball (England) England Squash
Squash and racketball (Scotland) Scottish Squash
Swimming, water polo, diving and synchronised swimming (England, Scotland, Wales) British Swimming
Swimming, water polo, diving and synchronised swimming (Northern Ireland) Swim Ulster
Table Tennis Table Tennis England
Taekwondo GB Taekwondo
Tennis (lawn tennis) Lawn Tennis Association
Tennis (real tennis and rackets) Tennis & Rackets Association
Triathlon British Triathlon
Volleyball (England) Volleyball England
Volleyball (Scotland) Scottish Volleyball
Wheelchair Basketball British Wheelchair Basketball
Wrestling British Wrestling Association
Yoga The British Wheel of Yoga