Player needing work permit?

I've had an Argentinian player (I play in the EPL) for almost 7 months and he still doesn't have his work permit enabling him to play. Is there anything I can do to speed the process up or do I just have to standby and hope he gets it?

Loan him out to Belgium or Spain, in 2 years time he will gain EU citizenship. Other than that, you have to hope he gets called up to the national team pretty quickly (though lack of fitness = very doubtful!)

I remember something about Maradonna considering him (or something of that nature) when I first signed him, but yeah he's been completely inactive since. I didn't know how the work permit thing works, just assumed it was something waiting for approval or something.

In relation to footballers, the overall criterion is that a player from outside the EEA must make a significant contribution to the game in the UK. However, there are also more specific criteria that have been agreed with the football authorities. Prior to the recent announcement, these were that:

* Work permits would only be issued to clubs for current international players who have an acceptable international reputation. Such a player would be expected to have played in his international 'A' team for at least the past two seasons and to have participated in approximately 75% of his country's competitive matches during that period.

* If a footballer's work permit were to be extended, then that player would be expected to have been a regular member of his club's first team by playing in the region of 75% of first team games.

* All clubs must provide evidence that they have undertaken a genuine and thorough search of the resident labour market of the UK/EEA, and that no suitable resident player is available.

* Salaries offered to players from outside the EEA should be at the top end of the club's wage structure, unless exceptional circumstances apply, and the total earnings of the club's highest-paid player must be disclosed.

Margaret Hodge, Minister for Employment and Equal Opportunities, and Tony Banks, Minister for Sport, announced the changes to the work permit criteria on 2 July. A non-EEA player will still have to prove that he has played in 75% of his international team's matches over the previous two years to qualify. However, the Fifa rankings of the player's national side will now be taken into consideration. This is designed to lead to fewer professionals coming from smaller, less established footballing countries.

Thanks for the info, so basically the idea is to keep the leagues mainly domestic with the exception of only the most prolific foreign players?