FA to tighten up work permit rules and limit foreign influx to help English talent develop

PUBLISHED: 22:14 GMT, 7 September 2013 | UPDATED: 22:15 GMT, 7 September 2013
The work permit system which allows foreigners to flood into the Premier League, denying places to England-qualified players, is to be reviewed by the Football Association.

The Mail on Sunday learned yesterday that the FA’s action comes in the wake of chairman Greg Dyke’s speech last week, which questioned why young English players were having their development held back in the Premier League.

Dyke raised the need to tighten the criteria for foreign players entering the country, and it should be a hot topic when he is expected to attend the Premier League shareholder meeting on Thursday.

Passionate: FA Chairman Greg Dyke gave a speech about the state of the English game earlier this week

Manchester City's Jesus Navas (left) is one of many foreigners to have joined the Premier League this summer

The toughening-up of work permit restrictions is eminently possible for the FA to achieve because it is within the power of the governing body and could be implemented immediately. Under current rules, any player from the European Union does not require a work permit, which covers the vast majority of incoming foreigners.

But those from outside of the EU need to have played 75 per cent of competitive matches for their national team before being accepted as an outstanding talent that would benefit English football. And their national team must be ranked in the top 70 in the world.

However, some players are admitted on appeal, despite not having fulfilled those criteria.

Concern has been raised that Chelsea were able to sign the Brazilian Willian from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala for £30million, even though he has not played for Brazil in 75 per cent of their games over the past two years. Indeed, he has only two senior caps, having made his debut in a friendly against Gabon in November 2011.

New boy: Willian received a work permit for his move to Chelsea despite only playing twice for Brazil

Support: England fans hold up a banner agreeing with Dyke's views

The player has a legitimate work permit, however, because Chelsea appealed, arguing that because standards were so high in Brazil, he would easily meet the criteria if he played for another country. That argument was accepted by the FA appointed panel.

Chelsea also signed Chilean Cristian Cuevas, 18, who has only been capped at Under-20 level. He has been sent on loan to Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem so currently only needs to meet Holland’s more relaxed rules. He is likely to return to Chelsea only when he meets the UK criteria.

The FA cannot reverse decisions that have already been made and, as both players have joined Chelsea legitimately, neither is under immediate threat. But Dyke wants to review how players in similar circumstances to Willian will be granted visas.

Talent: The FA want more young players like Ross Barkley to break through into the senior England team

The Home Office ultimately grants the right to stay but does so on the advice of the FA, who publish the criteria which need to be met and who appoint a panel of football experts if there is an appeal. This panel may be less lenient in future.

In his speech, Dyke said:‘We should also examine how the current work permit system operates — and it is worth pointing out that roughly 30 per cent of the players who received work permits this summer did not meet the standard criteria — and we should review the loan system to see if it can be made more effective in terms of developing players.’
 
This summer there were only two ‘special’ cases in the Premier League but Dyke’s figure of 30 per cent covers the Football League, too.

Most permits are granted for three years and the FA may look at being tougher with renewals, where players who initially meet the criteria then slip out of their national teams.