Sports and Entertainment

Fragomen has handled the full range of immigration issues in the sports and entertainment sectors for decades. We represent every variety of client, including casework for individual athletes and performing artists and their families, as well as corporate immigration for production companies, television networks, sports teams and leagues, and related marketing and promotion companies.

We have a truly unique combination of industry experience and global reach. We can meet the bespoke requirements of the most demanding individual clients, and our global offices can help facilitate complex multinational tours, appearances and sporting events.

Clients rely on us to eliminate uncertainty and guesswork from the immigration process—which clients in the sports and entertainment industry regularly execute under intense time pressures. Rather than handle their work as a series of one-off engagements, we offer clients thorough process analysis and planning that keep the drama and excitement on the field and out of the office. This approach reduces expensive mistakes and frees up the time and resources of in-house legal and mobility professionals.

 

Clients value us for:

Workforce Planning

The business of international sports and entertainment often requires a frenzy of immigration activity on short notice—and it can sometimes be tempting to employ a do-it-yourself approach that prioritizes speed over compliance.

We help clients escape this understandable but risky approach.

Fragomen streamlines business immigration, clarifying possible compliance issues in every engagement and building comprehensive programs around even the most complex mobility scenarios. This empowers our clients to plan ahead by incorporating immigration into short- and long-term business objectives.

Additionally, the close collaboration we enjoy with our clients ensures that when an unexpected risk—or opportunity—arises, they’re prepared to deal with the situation as quickly as possible.

Government Affairs Acumen

In many jurisdictions, sports and entertainment opportunities are heavily protected by government regulation and union oversight. With local Fragomen professionals in more than 55 offices worldwide, we have on-the-ground familiarity with countless local regulatory regimes.

Client Management

Sports and entertainment clients—ranging from leagues and teams to agencies and related companies and organizations—require intense planning and diligence. Depending on the nature of the visa, side activities, even if they seem purely personal, may qualify as unwarranted business. And sometimes personal histories may create difficulty during the approval process, or after the travel has begun.

We create programs that analyze and define risky activities for prestigious clients, who may otherwise unintentionally trigger negative reactions from local authorities—avoiding missed work, financial penalties and unnecessary scandal.

Understanding High-profile Clients

Fragomen recognizes the immigration issues faced by celebrities and other high-profile clients, whose notoriety can create extraordinary challenges, including to the personal safety and privacy of the client.

We adjust our services to take these concerns into account, so that every client enjoys a smooth and pleasant immigration process. Our services are consistent and remain available on-the-ground at the destination, in the same time zone.

Championing the Underdog

Established, high-profile celebrities and athletes bring clear value to local industries and economies, and special consideration is often extended to them.

Things can be different for up-and-coming stars and athletes, who have yet to establish a body of work or widespread recognition. We give these clients the individual attention they require, and we work with clients at the early stages of their careers to explore available options to secure compliant travel arrangements.