Annex D
Work Permit Arrangemnts for Footballers:
1999-2000 Season
INTRODUCTION
Work permit criteria for non-European Economic
Area (EEA) footballer players for the 1999-2000 season were announced
on 2 July 1999, following discussion with the football governing
bodies in England and Scotland. Work permits will be issued by
the Department for Education and Employment's Overseas Labour
Service (OLS) to international players of the highest calibre
who are able to make a significant contribution to the development
of the British game at its highest level (clubs competing in the
Premier Leagues and Football Leagues in England and Scotland).
The criteria are as follows:
CRITERIA
A player must have played for his country in
at least 75 per cent of its competitive "A" team matches
that he was available for selection during the two years preceding
the date of the application;
— The FIFA ranking of the player's
country must be at or above 70th place in the official rankings
list when averaged over the two years preceding the date of the
application.
Competitive Matches
The definition of a competitive "A"
team international match is a:
— World Cup Qualifying group game;
— Football Association confederation
tournament game, for example: The European Championship; The African
Cup of Nations; The Asia Cup; The CONCACAF Championship; and The
Copa America.
International Appearances
Prior to submitting an application to the OLS,
clubs should ensure that the Football Association/Scottish Football
Association are approached to provide written confirmation of
the player's international appearance record over the preceding
two years. The OLS will be unable to make a decision on the application
until the written reply from the FA/SFA is received.
Exclusion from selection for international matches
due to injury will be a factor that is taken into consideration
when applying the criteria. Clubs will be asked to submit supporting
medical evidence in such cases.
FIFA Rankings
There are currently 202 international teams
listed in the official FIFA rankings. Those countries which have
regularly achieved a 70th placing or higher over a period of two
years are regarded as nations who have competed regularly at a
highly competitive international level, and, have players of the
highest standard playing for them who have contributed consistently
to the achievement of that world ranking.
The OLS will update the aggregated two year
FIFA rankings on each occasion the official lists are published
(normally monthly). It is planned to make this information available
on the Department OLS Internet web site by the end of August 1999
(see note i below). Until that date clubs who may be considering
submitting an application are invited to contact the OLS first
to discuss any issues regarding the ranking position of a country.
Length of Work Permit Issue
(i) First Applications: the work permit
will be valid in line with the duration of the player's contract
with that UK club (up to a maximum of three years).
(ii) Subsequent Applications: a club must
submit a new applicaiton after expiry of the work permit if they
wish to retain the services of a player. If the work permit criteria
are satisfied at that stage ie a minimum of 75 per cent international
games over the previous two years, and, the FIFA ranking is at
or above 70th place, a permit will be issued for up to a maximum
of a further three years.
(iii) Change of Employer (transfer of player):
a club wishing to sign a player from another UK club must submit
an application to OLS who will then issue a work permit, for up
to a maximum of three years, if the work permit criteria are met
at that stage ie as in (ii) above.
Salary Information
Clubs no longer need to include details of a
player's salary in the work permit application.
Trials and Loan Agreements (See note ii below)
Work permits will not be issued to clubs for
the purpose of having players on loan or to trial them. Clubs
may wish to approach the Home Office for further information should
they wish to consider taking a non-EEA player on trial.
Consultation
Consultation with the football governing bodies
on individual applications will no longer take place.
Reviews
Where an application does not meet the published
criteria a club may, if they wish, seek a review against the decision
not to issue a work permit. In these cases the OLS will refer
the club's evidence to an independent review panel. The panel
will normally consist of representatives from the relevant football
governing bodies together with up to three independent experts.
They will consider whether the player is of the highest calibre
and able to contribute significantly to the development of the
game at the top level in the UK. The Review panel's recommendation
will be forwarded to the Department for Ministerial decision.
NOTES
An addendum was made to the criteria in September
1999 and circulated to the football governing bodies. This contained
the following information:
(i) Due to technical difficulties it has
not yet been possible to enter the aggregated FIFA rankings information
onto the Department's OLS Internet website. It is now planned
to have the details available by the end of October (in the meantime
OLS officials will continue to provide clubs with up to date information
about the rankings should they have any queries).
(ii) Loan deals will not be treated any
differently to other contractual arrangements which form part
of a work permit application for a footballer. However, permits
would not be issued to clubs for the purpose of having players
on trial.
| 
