International Sportsperson Settlement & ILR
Settlement on the International Sportsperson route combines a five-year residence framework with continuing sponsor, employment and settlement-stage requirements. It is different from the rules for obtaining International Sportsperson permission in the first place.
On this page
In brief
- Settlement on the International Sportsperson route combines a five-year residence framework with continuing sponsor and employment requirements.
- It is different from the rules for obtaining the visa in the first place.
- A specific International Sportsperson permission condition is checked.
- Continuous residence also applies — the guide sets out the assessment.
Is this the right stage?
This page is for a person who has, or was last granted, permission as an International Sportsperson and is considering settlement in the UK. It covers the ILR stage rather than the initial International Sportsperson requirements.
You are considering ILR
Continue here if your question is about settlement as the principal International Sportsperson.
You need permission or endorsement
See the International Sportsperson Visa page for endorsement, sponsorship and initial permission requirements.
International Sportsperson Visa →Another route may govern settlement
If another immigration route may govern your settlement application, start from the Settlement hub.
Settlement hub →What the settlement assessment looks at
International Sportsperson settlement involves several separate requirements: the qualifying period, continuous residence, the route-specific International Sportsperson permission condition, continuing sponsorship and employment, the settlement salary framework, English, KoLL and suitability.
Five-year period
A continuous five-year period on qualifying routes.
Continuous residence
Absences reviewed under Appendix Continuous Residence.
International Sportsperson grant history
A grant exceeding 12 months during the period.
Continuing sponsor
The most recent sponsor must remain approved.
Employment and salary
Continuing employment and the settlement salary level.
English and KoLL
Settlement English and Knowledge of Life in the UK.
The five-year qualifying period
You must complete a continuous five-year period in the UK using immigration permission that can count under Appendix International Sportsperson. The entire period does not have to be spent on the International Sportsperson route: specified other work and business routes can form part of the qualifying period.
Mixed immigration history? Check each grant separately. Time relied upon toward the principal applicant's qualifying period must fall within a route permitted by the current Rules and must not be time held as a dependant.
A specific International Sportsperson permission condition
At least one International Sportsperson grant must have exceeded 12 months. During the five-year continuous residence period, you must at some point have been granted permission as an International Sportsperson for a period exceeding 12 months.
This requirement is separate from the five-year qualifying-period calculation itself and should be checked against your immigration grant history.
Continuous residence
The qualifying period must also satisfy Appendix Continuous Residence. Absences from the UK therefore need to be reviewed across the relevant five-year period.
Continuing sponsor and employment requirement
Settlement on this route retains an active link to your sponsor. The sponsor from your most recent International Sportsperson permission must remain approved to sponsor International Sportspersons, and must confirm that they still require you to work for them for the foreseeable future.
Still approved
The sponsor from your most recent permission must remain authorised for International Sportsperson sponsorship.
Foreseeable future
Your sponsor must confirm that they continue to require you to work for them.
Endorsement is not the same as sponsorship. A Sports Governing Body Endorsement is a distinct requirement at the permission stage. The settlement provisions reviewed here do not state that a fresh Governing Body Endorsement must be obtained for settlement; they instead impose the continuing sponsor and employment requirements.
Settlement salary framework
Your sponsor must also confirm that you are being paid, and will continue to be paid for the foreseeable future, at least the settlement salary level required by the Immigration Rules applying at the time.
The calculation is not based on every payment or benefit you receive. Basic pay and specified guaranteed allowances are treated differently from overtime, bonuses and other excluded benefits.
Check the current figure on GOV.UK. ENS does not hard-code the settlement salary threshold because immigration salary figures can change.
Evidence areas to review
- Current sponsor status
- Sponsor confirmation of continuing employment
- Current employment terms
- Basic salary
- Guaranteed salary-package elements
- Working hours
- Recent payslips and corresponding salary records where relevant
- Any recent qualifying absence from work affecting salary assessment
English and Knowledge of Life in the UK
Settlement English is different from initial-route English
The English requirement for settlement is separate from the A1 requirement that can apply when obtaining International Sportsperson permission for more than 12 months. The settlement level depends on the date of application under the current Rules.
English language requirement →Knowledge of Life in the UK
The settlement application must also meet the Knowledge of Life in the UK requirement unless an applicable exemption applies.
Knowledge of Language and Life →English level is changing. The November 2025 guidance records B1 speaking and listening for settlement; the current Rules retain B1 before 26 March 2027 and introduce B2 from that date, subject to exemptions. Confirm the level in force on your application date.
What about your partner or children?
Your settlement does not automatically settle your partner or children. Appendix International Sportsperson contains separate settlement requirements for dependent partners and children. Their immigration history and individual requirements should be considered separately.
Approaching settlement on your work route? Get a fixed-fee check of your ILR eligibility and continuous-residence position.
Get a fixed-fee quoteOur regulatory scope. ENS provides immigration advice and services on straightforward applications within its IAA Level 1 authorisation. Where an International Sportsperson settlement matter involves a refusal, disputed sponsorship or employment, salary concerns, a significant continuous-residence issue, suitability concerns or another complex/contentious issue, we will identify the boundary and direct you to the appropriate next step. IAA regulation · Refusal or complex issue → specialist referral.
How ENS can help
Settlement framework review
We can review a straightforward International Sportsperson settlement case against the qualifying-period, residence and settlement-stage sponsorship framework.
Sponsor and evidence review
We can identify the sponsor, employment, salary and immigration-history evidence areas that should be checked before submission.
Straightforward application support
Where the matter remains within Level 1 competence, we can assist with preparing and reviewing a straightforward settlement application.
Frequently asked questions
Can an International Sportsperson apply for settlement?
Yes. International Sportsperson is a route to settlement, subject to the route's validity, suitability and eligibility requirements.
How long is the qualifying period?
The principal applicant must complete a continuous five-year qualifying period in the UK using immigration permission that can count under Appendix International Sportsperson.
Do all five years have to be as an International Sportsperson?
No. Specified other work and business routes may form part of the five-year qualifying period.
Must I have held International Sportsperson permission for more than 12 months?
During the five-year qualifying period, you must at some point have been granted International Sportsperson permission for a period exceeding 12 months.
Do I still need a sponsor for settlement?
The settlement rules require the sponsor from your most recent International Sportsperson permission to remain approved and to confirm that they still require you to work for them for the foreseeable future.
Do I need a new Sports Governing Body Endorsement for settlement?
The settlement provisions reviewed here do not state a separate requirement to obtain a fresh Governing Body Endorsement. They instead contain continuing sponsor, employment and salary requirements.
Is there a salary requirement for International Sportsperson settlement?
Yes. Your sponsor must confirm that you are being paid and will continue to be paid at least the settlement salary level required by the current Rules. The current monetary figure should be checked on GOV.UK.
Is the settlement English requirement A1?
No. A1 relates to certain initial or further International Sportsperson permission applications. Settlement has its own higher English requirement, and the level applicable depends on the date of application under the current Rules.
Do I need to meet the Life in the UK requirement?
The settlement rules require Knowledge of Life in the UK unless an applicable exemption applies.
Do my partner and children automatically get ILR when I do?
No. Dependent partners and children have separate settlement provisions and their individual position must be considered separately.
Source basis: Home Office, International Sportsperson: guidance for case-workers, version 8.0, published for Home Office staff on 11 November 2025. Immigration Rules and guidance can change; confirm the current position on GOV.UK before applying.
Discuss your International Sportsperson settlement application
If you are approaching settlement, we can review the structure of a straightforward case and identify the qualifying-period, sponsorship, employment and evidence issues that need attention.