The UKBA have now confirmed that if Bird attempts to enter the country it will be up to individual Immigration Officers whether to allow him in or not.

Presumably following UKBA guidelines of course...

I'm not up on what Bird was denied for, but his initial request will have been for a Visa/Permit which allowed him to live and work in this country.

Surely there wouldn't be an issue with him coming representing a French team every other week in this country. He wouldn't be taking any money from a UK company, or living here.

What kind of Visa's did Manly need for the game the other night?

Still needs a VISA to enter the country as he isn't a UK or EU national. The Manly players would have needed a VISA as the players in the World Cup did.

You don't need a visa to enter the UK from Australia (or NZ or probably a bunch of other places). Just need a valid passport and a believable reason for coming when they ask you.

You need to fill in a landing card and have your passport scanned. When his is scanned it will show that he has previously been refused entry to the UK.

[url=http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/travellingtotheuk/Enteringtheuk/arrivingatukborder/noteeaorswiss/UKBA[/url

He might be ok going off this:

[iYou will only need permission to come (known as 'entry clearance' or 'a visa') to the United Kingdom for a sports visit of up to six months if you are a visa national. See the visa services website for more information.

If you a non-visa national, permission to come as a sports visitor for up to six months is not needed.

Multiple entry visas are available for sports visitors for six months, and one, two, five and 10 years. See the visa services website, which you can find on the right if this page, for more information.[/i

But he has still been refused entry to the UK technically.

I don't think he was refused entry into the country. He was refused a working visa I believe.

Here is a quote from UKBA on sports persons travelling from countries like Oz (you do not need a visa):

[iIf you are not an EEA or Swiss national, you will need to provide documentary evidence to the Immigration Officer on landing at a UK port or airport of the reason for your visit to the UK – e.g. the invitation from the sporting organisation. You may also be asked for evidence that you can support yourself financially and accommodate yourself while in the UK, do not intend to base yourself in the UK and will leave the UK at the end of your visit.[/i

He has been refused permission to enter the UK (as far as we know) through the visa refusal. The reason for the intended stay in the UK seems to me to be irrelevant. If the refusal is due to his "character" then he will fall to be refused for the same reason every time he tries to enter until his court case is dealt with.

It's nothing to do with him working here or earning money. The UKBA appear to be saying to him, Crocker etc. "we don't want your sort here", which they are perfectly at liberty to do [url=http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/immigrationlaw/immigrationrules/part9/under these rules[/url

Exactly

I'm not convinced that is true.

Eastwood couldn't come and work here due to a couple of traffic offences. I don't believe he would be prevented from coming here on holiday.

It is, honest!

He could quite easily be prevented from coming here for a holiday. The rules I linked to have to be considered [uevery time[/u and any refusal must be declared. The new visa manager in Canberra seems to be making problems by imposing the general rules firmly, so in theory, Eastwood could definitely be refused entry.

Ok, I don't know enough about it to debate too much, but Australians do not need a Visa to enter the UK. They were denied a working Visa, meaning that they couldn't fulfill their contract with their club. I haven't seen anything which states that any of these players have been banned from entering the country.

We're all speculating mate, but my impression (and I work in this area) is that in effect they actually have been banned from entering the country (albeit temporarily).

Australians don't need visas , but anyone who is not British or EU needs leave to enter the UK. The visa refusal is refusing that leave to enter before they get here (a visa is only a "pre travel" check to see if you qualify for entry). Because of (and we're guessing) the reasons for refusal for all these players, they will apply for some time. For example Crocker's conviction won't be spent until 2010 and so could be used against him EVERY time he tries to come here, unless the UKBA change their minds on the current application. If they refuse again, he will not qualify for entry in any capacity until 2010.

I was talking about the Manly players as someone questioned how they got into the country. But as for Bird, he was denied a working visa. Doesn't mean he would be denied entry as a visitor. If you don't need a visa to visit and you've got a valid reason for your visit, can satisfy the official on landing that you are only there for that reason and that you'll be leaving when you say you are leaving there's no reason not to let you in. They don't even ask you if you've got a record or anything. They generally ask stuff like why are you here, how long are you staying, do you have a return ticket, do you have a job back home, what is it, will you be returning to that job? etc. It's all just to judge whether they think you're there for the right reasons, that you're not going to work and that you'll go home when you're supposed to. The only thing that might stuff Bird up is if his passport is in some way flagged due to his working visa being denied. But had he never applied for that visa and signed for Catalans from the get go he would be just as entitled to walk into the country as any other average Aussie. He still might be.

And there you have it! It will have been.

The visa refusal does affect him and the purpose of his previous application is irrelevant if he's been refused under the general rules. If he's denied a "working visa" under the general rules he should be denied any other form of entry for the same reason, unless and until his circumstances change.

according to the papers today, his entry to the UK will depend on the indiviudal person who is working at Border Control when he tries to enter the UK - so no actual solid rules are in place either way.

That's a farce. Not saying what the decision should be but that's just a fudge.

aye, so he will have to fly to the UK every other week - some weeks he will get in, some weeks not.

Yes and no. The rules say that each individual request for entry is judged on it's own merits. The last request Bird made was turned down, but the UKBA can't be seen to be pre-judging his next request as circumstances may change.

In practice, all the Immigration Officers will be working to the same rules and be interpreting them in line with the same guidelines. Unless something changes drastically between now and the first time he tries to enter the UK with Catalans, he's very likely to be turned away again.

And I'm sure no RL supporting immigration officer would let their decision be influenced by that fact that he might be coming to play against their team, say …

Or against a team near them in the table etc...

What are you saying?!

Watch for that Zeebrugge - Hull Ferry!

Amazing, we not only allow hate filled terrorists to come here, we allow them to call for our own destruction while paying for their accommodation, food, council tax, their polygamous ways and their offsprings, but god forbid a professional athlete should turn up once every two weeks to play 80 minutes of rugby and then go back to France.

The world is one f'cked up place at times, I know who I would feel safer having on these shores and it isn't Sheik Yabennifts screaming for my death.

www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/bi ... 89784.html bird may only be allowed to play catalans home games

www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/bi ... 89784.html bird may only be allowed to play catalans home games