Offside or Onside? Considering the Visa Options for Overseas Football Club Owners in the UK

In this article we look at the case of Wrexham AFC, the successful Welsh football club owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, and relevant visa options available to Reynolds and McElhenney to come to the UK as Wrexham owners. Both Reynolds and McElhenney are US-based actors and businesspeople and are widely reported as travelling to the UK for matches, club business, and filming.  

Reynolds and McElhenney bought Wrexham in 2020. At the time of acquisition in 2020, the club was in the fifth tier, at the lowest position in their 150-year history, and a long way from the Premier League. However, following the acquisition and impact of the new international fanbase, things started to change. In 2025 Wrexham won promotion to the EFL Championship and is currently competing in the second tier of the English football league system.

Owning a UK football club does not require a UK visa. Foreign nationals can own UK companies and sport clubs without residing in the UK. When Reynolds and McElhenney are in the UK, they may be entering under standard or business visitor route. As American/Canadian, they are non-visa nationals and do not need to apply for a visa to simply visit the UK for short periods of time, however that may depend on the activity they will be undertaking while in the UK. Under the Visitor Rules individuals are allowed to undertake only particular business activities while in the UK. 

Overseas club owners risk getting a “red card” by blurring the line between visiting and becoming too operational while in the UK. This is a common risk area in sports ownership and can lead to refusals of entry at the border or future visa issues.

So, what are the options for owners like Reynolds and McElhenney if they want to visit (or stay) in the UK.

Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) - Standard Visitor (Business Visitor)

As non-visa nationals, Reynolds and McElhenney can apply for and obtain ETA to enable them to travel to the UK as standard visitors, but they will not be able to do any work in the UK, paid or unpaid.

Visitor visa is common for overseas club owners who visit periodically for matches, board meetings, PR, sponsorship events, or filming and is very common for high‑profile football owners.

Under the Standard Visitor – business activities rules, visitors can:

• Attend board/shareholder meetings and strategy meetings
• Negotiate and sign contracts
• Attend matches, sponsor events, and media activity (including the odd red carpet)
• Conduct site visits and inspections

However, any of the following activities would be classed as working and would be prohibited:

• Day‑to‑day operational management
• Running the club/business from inside the UK
• Acting as an executive while physically in the UK
• Making operational decisions on a continuing basis
• Receiving remuneration from the club for UK‑based activity

This route is the safest and most frequently used by foreign football owners who wish to visit the UK often for short periods of time. It permits stays in the UK for up to six months at a time, as long as no prohibited activities are carried out.

However, if they are considering doing any work for the club in the UK, Reynolds and McElhenney may want to consider one of the following visa options:

Innovator Founder visa 

Innovator Founder visa would suit owners who want to live in the UK and be hands‑on in running the club or related ventures.  This is especially relevant where the ownership involves new commercial structures, media arms, tech platforms, or stadium redevelopment vehicles

As Innovator Founders, Reynolds and McElhenney will be able to act as executive directors or active founders and perform day‑to‑day management of the club, including strategic and operational control and running connected ventures including media, analytics and fan platforms.

Core requirements for this visa category are:

• An endorsed business plan that is Innovative, Viable and Scalable
• Endorsement from a Home Office‑approved body and monitoring (think of this as the VAR of business plans)

Key features for this visa category are:

• Three‑year visa
• Route leads to settlement (ILR) after three years
• There is no fixed minimum investment
• Founder must play an active, day‑to‑day role

This may not be commonly used for traditional club ownership alone but may be relevant for modern football groups. However, for Reynolds and McElhenney, they would need to show how their business, i.e. Wrexham or any other business venture, is innovative, viable and scalable. For owners of a UK football club, this may be quite difficult but not impossible (quite like Wrexham’s sudden rise to the EFL Championship).

Skilled Worker (Self‑sponsorship model)

This visa route would suit owners who set up a UK company (e.g. holding company, commercial arm) and who would like to have a full executive role in day‑to‑day management of the club, and to receive a salary paid in the UK or overseas. The company will have to obtain a Sponsor Licence and sponsor the owner as a director or executive.

This visa route may be used occasionally but is structurally complex and may attract heavy Home Office scrutiny. This is due to the requirement that, as part of the Sponsorship Licence application, the club must demonstrate the existence of a genuine vacancy for the position in which individuals are to be sponsored, as well as compliance with relevant salary thresholds. The prospective Sponsor will also need to evidence compliance with their duties and responsibilities.

While this would be a viable option for Reynolds and McElhenney, this visa route may not be their best option, especially if they are unwilling to pay themselves the requisite salary thresholds.

Global Talent visa 

This visa category would suit exceptional individuals and owners who qualify independently as leaders in either: 

• Arts & culture
• Media or entertainment
• Digital technology

Key features for this visa category are:

• No sponsorship is required
• No business endorsement
• Freedom to work, invest, and establish companies
• Route leads to settlement (ILR) after three or five years

This is not an “investor” visa and eligibility is a high‑threshold, but some high‑profile owners qualify via their creative careers. Specifically, Reynolds and McElhenney could qualify through their successful acting careers rather than their involvement in Wrexham. There are no work conditions attached to this route, so they can work as actors or directors in the UK.

Conclusion: most suitable visa option

For overseas owners who are UK non‑residents and only need to attend matches, board meetings, sponsor/PR activity and other short, high‑level business engagements, the ETA/Standard or Business Visitor route is generally the most suitable and proportionate option. It is widely used in practice and avoids the cost, complexity and compliance burden associated with long‑term work routes, provided the owner remains within the permitted visitor activities and does not undertake day‑to‑day operational management while in the UK.

Where an owner intends to live in the UK or take on an active executive role (including regular operational decision‑making, leading staff, or being remunerated), a work/residence route will typically be required. In that case, Global Talent may be the most flexible solution for individuals who qualify through their personal achievements (with no sponsorship), while Innovator Founder may be better suited where the owner is genuinely building and running an endorsed, innovative venture connected to the club’s wider commercial strategy. The Skilled Worker (self‑sponsorship) model is usually the least attractive for club owners due to sponsor licence compliance and Home Office scrutiny.

However, the routes identified above are not ideal for Reynolds and McElhenney to live in the UK on a more permanent basis. They would particularly benefit from the reintroduction of an investment route. Such a route would enable high-profile individuals to secure residency through significant investment in the UK’s economy, facilitating both their personal interests and their involvement with the club without the limitations of the current options. In the absence of this, they must rely on creative or entrepreneurial routes, which, while suitable in some circumstances, may not offer the same straightforward path to permanent residency as a dedicated investor visa previously did. 

In practice, the key is matching immigration permission to the circumstances and frequency of UK activity. Owners who visit often should keep trips clearly focussed on permitted visitor activities (for example, diarised meetings and agendas) and take advice before undertaking any activity that could be characterised as running the club from the UK. After all, nobody wants to be caught offside.

If you would like assistance with any of the above mentioned visa applications, or any other personal or business immigration matter, please contact a member of the team.