Well-known streamer Cyanide has posted a tweet detailing his visa issues and how the situation went right down to the wire.
It’s the latest example of visas in the UK potentially holding back esports and streaming talent. In recent years, as esports has grown and more events are taking part on our shores, organisations and individuals have had trouble getting talent into the UK to take part in tournaments or work in video games in other ways.
Cyanide’s situation was slightly different, in that he is already based in the UK, but his existing visa was due to run out in December 2019.
He said in a post on Twitter: “In March of this year, in legislative reform, my intended visa type was no longer offered and therefore, I no longer qualified.
“My visa ended in December 2019. I would have been forced to leave my home and the life I have built here in the UK.
‘Many months of research, legal processes, paperwork and constant failure took a toll not only on my professional life, but my mental and physical health.’
Cyanide
Cyanide said it took a heavy toll on him, and while he appeared fine on social media, he was in a difficult place. As he streamed less in the last few months, his subscriber count dwindled.
Thanksfully, this story has a good ending. Cyanide has managed to secure a brand new visa, valid for a couple more years, allowing him to stay in the UK.
He also added he will be streaming full-time for the first time from January 6th 2020, with streams going live weekdays from 3pm.
Earlier this month, the German government introduced an esports visa, raising further questions around the UK’s lack of a specific esports visa.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
