A change to UK immigration law has blocked a loophole that enabled non-European players to evade the FA's requirements for them to play in England.

FA rules say a non-European player must have played in 75% of their country's matches in the two years prior to moving to England, with that nation needing to have had an average world ranking of 70 or higher.

But players have been able to gain investor visas given to those willing to invest £1 million or more in the UK, enabling them to play in the country on that basis.

The UK Borders Agency change - brought in during December - has resulted in a number of planned transfer window deals being abandoned because the players in question would not meet the FA requirements for a work permit.

The switch came after the FA raised concerns about the investor visas route with the Sports & Recreation Alliance (SRA), the umbrella organisation for governing bodies.

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