MANAGED MIGRATION 2019, AN ECB STATEMENT
Date: 16th October 2018
Managed Migration in Club Cricket – End of season 2018 update
Paul Bedford writes as follows:
As part of our continuing correspondence with you on the subject of Managed Migration, I am able to advise of the latest position.
During the summer, as in recent years, the ECB conducted an audit of players in Premier and other Leagues across the country.
I am pleased to report that, through the efforts of many of you, cricket has been able to demonstrate a reduction in the amount of players that have breached the Home Office policy. Thanks to everyone that made this reduction possible. Clubs that appeared to breach the policy have been advised.
In September, members of ECB Public Policy and Regulation Team met the Home Office to discuss any planned changes to policy for the 2019 season. At present, nothing has been agreed in terms of policy and as a result, the criteria remains unaltered.
As a reminder, the payment of a players’ airfare and/or use of an agent to promote the availability of players in the higher levels of cricket is likely to increase the prospect of the Home Office considering the player to be a professional and, as a consequence, the risk of the player being deemed ineligible.
The Home Office definitions of a Professional sportsperson are:-
An “Amateur” is a person who engages in a sport or creative activity solely for personal enjoyment and who is not seeking to derive a living from the activity. This also includes a person playing or coaching in a charity game.
A “Professional Sportsperson”, is someone, whether paid or unpaid, who :
is providing services as a sportsperson, playing or coaching in any capacity, at a professional or semi-professional level of sport; or
being a person who currently derives, who has in the past derived or who the Secretary of State has reason to believe is seeking in the future to derive, a living from playing or coaching, is providing services as a sportsperson or coach at any level of sport, unless they are doing so as an “Amateur” in a charity game.
In the definitions of “Amateur” and “Professional Sportsperson”, “derive a living”, “paid” or similar references include payments made in kind.
ECB and the Home Office are continuing to work collaboratively with other sports on revising current Policy and Guidance for implementation for the 2019 cricket season and currently we are on track for being able to share more precise details by end of 2018.
It is essential for clubs to comply with the published Visa policy and clubs receiving non-EEA migrants must abide by these rules.
Note:- The ECB is not registered to give advice on immigration. Information on aspects of immigration policy and law can be found on the Home Office website -
Yours sincerely
Paul Bedford
ECB National Participation Manager (Leagues and Competitions)
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