Visa Restrictions

[Paulwny]

Bob Elliott---Toronto Sun:

The U.S. Congress has mandated that work visas, or H-2B petitions, be limited to 66,000 workers for 2004. That total was reached March 9.
"The U.S. government set a limit of 66,000 and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will stick to that number," Marcos said. "Let's say another Cuban defects. A club will not be able to sign him because they won't have a visa for him."

http://www.canoe.ca/Slam040403/col_elliott-sun.html

[ode to veeck]

Congress typically raises the limits on H1 and H2 visas each year when this happens, shouldn't be a factor

[Paulwny]

Originally posted by ode to veeck
Congress typically raises the limits on H1 and H2 visas each year when this happens, shouldn't be a factor

I'm not so sure, from the article:

Commissioner Bud Selig plans to meet with White House officials and hopes to find a friendly ear in U.S. president George W. Bush, former owner of the Texas Rangers. Baseball is in for a serious readjustment if it is not allowed to tap foreign markets which make up almost 50% of its minor-league feeder system.

Also, baseball is not the only business or sport affected, from the article:

There is talk that applications for 2005 visas can be made in October and the quota is expected to be reached by next January. And so the problem snowballs.

"Hockey's minor leagues will be seriously affected if Canadians and Europeans, signed this June, can't get visas to play in the minors," Marcos said.

[Dadawg_77]

You know they should just make any athlete playing for a professional sport, is exempt for the requirement.