Written question asked by Catherine West (Labour) on Monday, 29 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 1 July 2026. It was answered by Mike Tapp (Labour) on Wednesday, 8 July 2026 on behalf of the Home Office.

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Immigration: Chess

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing professional chess players to qualify for leave to remain in the UK under the a) International Sportsperson and b) Global Talent visa route; and if she will take steps to include professional chess within those categories.

Answer

There are no current plans to include chess players in either the International Sportsperson (ISP) visa route or the Global Talent visa route, but we keep all routes under review.

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Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

13892

Session

2026-27

Subjects

Immigration Chess

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk