As a great sporting nation, Australia holds many opportunities for those wishing to engage in professional competitive sport. If you are from overseas and get the opportunity to compete here, don’t overlook the fact that you will need a visa.
One option is the temporary activity Subclass 408 visa which was introduced on 19 November 2016. This visa was legislated for a number of different activity types and is partly relevant to sports persons seeking to enter and stay in Australia.
In that respect, there is a specific sports related stream in that visa which enables the entry of such persons whose skills are at the national level for the purposes of improving the quality of a particular sport in this country through the participation in high level competition and training.
To gain access under this stream, endorsement by a peak sporting body is required and includes categories of persons such as players, coaches, instructors, competition judges and adjudicators. Whilst there are other suitable visas for sports persons such as the Subclass 400 (Short Stay Specialist) Visa if the stay in Australia is for short periods or a Subclass 457 (Temporary Work (Skilled)) Visa if the sports person is contracted as an employee our experience is that the Subclass 408 Visa is the one most usually utilised.
In addition to your high-level sporting activity, the relevant visa in question also potentially allows sports trainees to enter and remain in Australia to participate in a sport by being trained by an organisation that is a sporting organisation operating in this country. The relevant Australian organisation must have a reputation for training elite sports persons.
Other than meeting specific sports related stream criteria, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection will also need to be satisfied of a range of other things including that the person is a genuine applicant for entry or stay, and has adequate means of support. Subclass 408 visas are granted for periods usually up to approximately two years.
Whether you are looking to play professional sport in Australia or an organisation looking to engage professional sports people ensure that you leave enough time for visa applications and get the right advice.
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