New legislation on immigration visas to help Maineiacs
LEWISTON, Maine --Foreign players on the Lewiston Maineiacs hockey team will be treated like sports professionals rather than seasonal migrant workers under new federal legislation.
Congress on Saturday passed an immigration law that will allow minor league athletes, like those on the Maineiacs, to qualify for the same immigration visas used by major league athletes.
Under the current system, minor league players are in the United States under an H2B visa, where they are included in a pool of seasonal migrant workers such as apple pickers or restaurant and hotel employees. There is a cap on the number of H2B visas given each year, leaving players vulnerable to not receiving one until the next round that begins in October.
The Maineiacs, the only American team in the 16-team Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, is particularly susceptible because most of its players are Canadian. Only two Americans are listed on its 24-player roster, with two others coming from Slovakia and the rest from Canada.
A couple of years ago, 24 players and a coach who lived outside of the U.S. couldn't get visas to enter the country because of limits on the number of H2B visas. The team was forced to play the first three games of the season on the road until they received a visa clearance.
"Even though we got visas before, the kind of visas we were getting was like putting a square peg into a round hole," said Maineiacs' Vice President and Gov. Matt McKnight. "We were nervous every time, because they weren't made for hockey players, and all it would have taken was one person who felt that way to say, 'No, I'm sorry, your applications are denied.'"
The new legislation amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand the P-1 visa program to include athletes that play on minor league professional and high-level amateur teams, such as the Maineiacs and the Portland Sea Dogs, according to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.
Under current law, the only visas available under that program are for athletes on major league teams, but not to minor league athletes even if they play for farm or feeder teams under major league organizations.
"Our professional athletes should not be sidelined by red tape," Collins said. "There is no reason that minor league athletes should be given different consideration in terms of their immigration status than major league athletes.
"This legislation levels the playing field for minor league sports teams that depend on getting the best athletic talent from around the world."
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Information from: Sun-Journal, http://www.sunjournal.com
