Act is a solution that not only helps professional American teams. but it also relieves the stress on the H2B visa program added by a misclassified group. The reality is that minor league athletes do not belong in the same visa category as seasonal workers. There is no reason major league athletes cant and shouldnt qualify for P1 visas. which are granted to talented athletes. artists. and entertainers. The COMPETE Act would remedy this unfair situation. What follows are some examples of how classifying minor leaguers and ice skaters as H2B workers harms American sports and how it would be better that they be reclassified as other athletes for temporary P1 visas. Disney on Ice has seven domestic tours per year. bringing approximately $400.000 to each of the 150 to 170 U.S. cities in which it stops. There are not enough U.S. skaters to fill the roles each production requires. thus the organization relies on foreign skaters to supplement its cast. As the cap on H28 visas has been consistently reached before the commencement of their training period-(August in Floridaand subsequent touring seasonsSeptember through February or Marchthey are often short of ice skaters for their productions. Major League Baseball was unable to bring 350 baseball players to the United States in the 2004 and 2005 seasons as a result of the H28 visa cap having been met. Promotions of promising young players to the U.S. Minor League affiliates could not be made. Due to the unavailability of visas. signings of Canadian players drafted in baseballs June firstyear player draft have declined by 80 percent. Furthermore. clubs who have already signed talented nonU.S. citizens have been prevented from bringing these players to the United States given that the H2B cap has been reached in past years. National Hockey League recruits from independent minor league teams. such as the American Hockey League. Central Hockey League. and the East Coast Hockey League. for foreign players to fill its ranks.
Keywords matched
visa visas H2B