FM 2005 Q.....
 

I'm in 2007 and have yet to see a "work permit" granted to a player to play abroad.......does it EVER happen or is it something to just give up on?

Thanks

The requirement, is that the player must have played in >70% of the last 10 of his COUNTRY'S full international matches.

So at anything below the top flight of a country, it is unlikely to happen.

NOTE: Work permits are also RARELY granted for young players with exceptional talent who don't meet the above requirement.

In short: Yes, work permits most definitely can be had in FM.

You can definitely get work-permits for players, often a club has to appeal however ... especially if a player is a borderline case.