Changes to VISA categories for sports persons - Australia

Overview 

There are many visa options available for visiting Australia. This fact sheet is a general guide to the most common visa options for those travelling to Australia to participate in sporting events. The information contained in this fact sheet is current as at 23 November 2016. Australian law may change after this time resulting in a change in visa options.

Please check the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s website for further information: www.border.gov.au/

New Zealand citizens should refer to the Department’s website: www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/444- Visa Options

Visitor visas 

An amateur sports person is defined as a person who does not derive their main income from their sport. If you are an amateur sports person or a person that supports an amateur player or team on a genuine unpaid volunteer basis (for example: a coach, team official, or referee), you may be eligible for one of the following

• Visitor visas: - Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) (subclass 601) - eVisitor (subclass 651) - 
• Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the tourist stream 

You must not be paid for participating in the event, or for supporting an amateur player or team.

However, you may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses such as accommodation and meals.

Amateur players may generally receive small amounts of prize money for their participation in the event. Spectators and family members of amateur players may also be eligible for a Visitor visa.

Further information about the specific requirements of Visitor visas is available on the Department’s website: www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Appl/Visitor

WCA 2016 promotes e-sports in China

South Africa's Thomas Brown opening the WCA2016

The World Cyber Arena 2016 (WCA2016) China and APAC Pro Qualifiers Season 1 (S1) finals took place at the China National Tennis Center in Beijing on May 21.

Fifty-seven players in teams from China, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia and Philippines won in the six official games, including CS:GO, Hearthstone, Dota II, StarCraftII, Warcraft 3, and COS, have advanced to WCA2016 global finals that will be held in Yinchuan, capital of northwestern China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region this December.

The event was opened by Thomas Brown (from All Stars Club, Witbank, South Africa) who is the first South African to referee an international eSports event on foreign soil.

The WCA, held by Yinchuan government and Yinchuan International Game Investment Co Ltd, is an international e-sports event that has been held thrice. Under the slogan "Hero's Arena, Player's Dreamland", it is committed to promoting the developments of e-sports events and the sector and attracting more people to participate in e-sports.

China's e-sports sector has boomed in recent years under positive policy and social environment. The number of e-sports users has reached 124 million and the output value of the e-sports sector has reached 27 billion yuan by the end of 2015, and the overall market of e-sports in China is expected to exceed 50 billion yuan in the future, according to the 2015 China e-sports Game Analysis Report released by iResearch, a Chinese consultancy company.

According to WCA spokesman Li Yanfei, the E-Sports industry has a large amount of enthusiastic young fans that should not be underestimated.

As the titled sponsor of WCA2016, Lesports of LeEco Holdings Co, enters the field to create an e-sport ecosystem, Lei Zhenjian, founder and Chief Executive said with the government's positive promotion and capital pouring into the sector, e-sports is rapidly rising in China.

"The standards and business model of e-sports still needs to mature. And as a young sector, e-sports has diverse possibilities in its profitability," said Lei.