Don't think George Congreve has a British passport either, but he was still allowed to ride NDL in the same season as Pearson. I think (could be wrong) they allowed Commonwealth riders to ride in the NDL in that year (2023), but have since reversed that decision?
Well, yes, but only if Foord was willing to be the "sacrificial lamb". Perhaps he decided it wasn't worth signing, knowing he'd be dropped, so waited until a full contact from another club was offered?
The "problem" is, in my opinion, there are quite a few NDL standard riders out there, it's just proving a too bigger step up to Championship level for a lot of them. I think Newcastle tried 3, maybe 4 and none of them were ready for the Championship and I include Jack Smith in that.