(or Played Soccer Outside the United States)
International Paperwork for ALL Players that were born outside of the United States:
Explanation:
FIFA requires all players 17 and younger, regardless of their ability or citizenship, to receive an international clearance from their former country when they are attempting to register to play soccer in a different country (i.e., the United States). U.S. Soccer is responsible for obtaining that clearance on behalf of all players in the U.S. participating in affiliated leagues.
U.S. Soccer has two Minor Clearance Forms and five Minor Exceptions. Please see below.
DO NOT SEND IN PHOTOS FOR APPLICATIONS. ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE IN PDF FORMAT. PHOTOS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
International Transfer Clearance Options:
Under FIFA’s rules, there are seven options by which a player born outside of the U.S. can register with an affiliated league:
1. Entry Prior to Age 10 (P10) - At the time of registration, the player must be under the age of 10 and never been registered outside of the US.
Accepted forms of documentation Limited to ONE (1) of the following:
- Original birth certificate (Must contain parentage information)
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad
-Permanent Resident Card w/Photo
-Passport (including photo page)
-Visa w/photo
-Government Issued National ID w/photo
2. First Registration US Citizen - US Citizen born outside of the US and have never been registered to play soccer outside of the US. OR Awaiting Citizenship - The players does not currently hold physical proof of US citizenship and has never been registered to play soccer outside of the US.
Accepted forms of documentation for player that holds citizenship Limited to ONE (1) of the following:
-United States Passport (to include photo page)
-Consular Report of Birth Abroad
-Certificate of Citizenship
-Certificate of Naturalization
Accepted forms of documentation for players awaiting citizenship Limited to the THREE following documents:
1. Players Birth Certificate - Original birth certificate (Must contain parentage information)
2. Player's Personal Identification Document (PID) - Permanent Resident Card OR Government Issued National ID Card
3. Parents'/Guardians' Proof of US Citizenship - ONE of the following: US Passport (to include photo page), Certificate of Citizenship, OR Certificate of Naturalization.
The following Minor Exceptions are for those that do not fall under the first two options. (Please click on the form link to see all required documentation)
1. 5 Year Exception - The player is registering for the first time and has lived continuously for the last 5 years in the US.
2. 50km Exception - Both the player's residence and the new club are within 50km of their common border and the distance between the two is greater than 100km.
3. Parents Move Exception - The player's parents have moved to the country where the player wants to register for reasons not linked to soccer. This includes US citizens returning to the US after studying abroad and/or playing abroad with an affiliated club/league at any level.
4. Exchange Student Exception - The player is moving temporarily without their parent(s) for academic reasons in order to undertake an exchange program. the duration of the player's registration will not exceed one year and the registering US club is purely amateur and has no pro affiliation.
5. Humanitarian Exception - Accompanied: The player is moving due to humanitarian reasons with their parent(s) and could not be expected to return to their country of origin. Unaccompanied: The player is moving due to humanitarian reasons without their parent(s) and could not be expected to return to their county of origin.
A Club Statement is REQUIRED for ALL the Minor Exception Clearance types. This is a statement noting the first contact the club had with the player.
A Parent/Guardian Statement is required for ONLY the Parent Move Exception. This is a statement from the parent/guardian stating why they moved to the US.
DO NOT SEND IN PHOTOS FOR APPLICATIONS. ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE IN PDF FORMAT. PHOTOS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
All submissions MUST go through VYSA. Please email all required documents and forms to [email protected] for submission.
VYSA office staff will only accept submissions from ONE point of contact. Please send all the forms and documents in ONE email in pdf format.