Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to introduce (a) a broader fast-track visa waiver programme for major sporting events and (b) an extension to the eligibility requirements for a Paid Permitted Engagement visa.

The Standard Visitor route already has generous provisions for fans, sportspeople, and the personal and technical staff of sportspeople, coming to the UK to attend a sporting event. Non-visa nationals (such as visitors from the EU/EEA or the United States) do not require a visa to visit the UK and can travel on an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

For those that do require a visa, the UK’s service standards for processing a visa are already among the fastest in the world and paid-for priority services are available for those who require an even faster decision.

The Standard Visitor route Permitted Paid Engagement (PPE) rules are also generous. These rules exceptionally permit professional sportspersons to be paid for carrying out an activity directly relating to their profession for the first 30 days of their visit, provided they have been invited by a sports organisation, agent, or broadcaster based in the UK.