Fireside Chat Series: Sports & Entertainment Immigration – How Immigration Lawyers Can Support Their Clients – The In-House Counsel/Client Perspective

The sports and entertainment industries operate on tight deadlines, international schedules, and high-profile engagements, making immigration support a critical component of successful delivery. Whether managing athlete transfers, international tournaments, touring productions, film shoots or talent mobility, the consequences of immigration issues can be significant.

Join us for our fireside chat where our in-house counsel panel will explore the unique immigration challenges facing the sports and entertainment sectors and discuss how specialist immigration lawyers can help organisations, agents, managers, and professional advisors navigate an increasingly complex global landscape. During the session, we will cover:

• The sports and entertainment landscape and why immigration is central to the movement of talent across borders.
• Emerging challenges, including processing delays, application backlogs, increased government scrutiny, and the risks associated with non-compliance.
• Real-world scenarios and practical solutions, from managing tight timelines and multi-country events to responding to unexpected developments and crisis situations, to considering what activities the sportsperson/entertainer might be undertaking outside of their “day job” and who might be accompanying them.
• How can immigration lawyers add value, from strategic planning and government engagement to proactive risk management and practical day-to-day support.
• How companies go about choosing the right entertainment partner and what they take into consideration, including the importance of experience, global reach, accessibility, communication, and value for money.

The session will conclude with key takeaways on building an effective immigration strategy, engaging early, coordinating across multiple jurisdictions and functions, and ensuring compliance remains at the heart of every mobility programme.

Facilitators

• Moderator: Chetal Patel, Past Global Migration Section Chair, London, England
• Jamie Cheung, New York, NY
• Camille Waddell, Los Angeles, CA

The speaker's/author's views do not necessarily represent the views of AILA, nor do they constitute legal advice or representation. Practice tips provided are based on the speaker's/author's experiences and the current state of the law. Please be sure to conduct legal research and analysis for your unique situation as the law changes quickly and experiences may differ from your own.

Global Migration Section

The Global Migration Section (GMS) is a community of AILA members and international associates who are interested in furthering the practice of global migration.