Todays article is not about who won or lost the election two days ago. It is about how those results may directly impact player immigration to the United States next season, and players leaving the United States next season.
If you think the election will not pose changes or complications next year, you were obviously not very well acquainted with one of President Elect Trump’s main platforms. Immigration for amateur as well as minor professional hockey players will be impacted directly.
Being prepared and anticipating change is part of my job. Filling out immigration paperwork, walking clients through the Visa process for the United States and other countries is part of my job.
Being prepared is also having a recently retired Department of Justice Immigration Attorney on call for our company.
Right or wrong, the immigration policies in the United States will be changing. Those policies can not be changed without directly impacting the non immigrant temporary worker visa, student visa, and visitors visa’s in some way.
The policy platform that was effectively voted in on Tuesday, will for at least the next four years, change the way hockey players stay in this country or even enter the country. The borders will tighten and those visa’s that were once simply a formality will no longer be as easy to get, or as plentiful.
The visa limits, there are limits set by congress, will be lowered. As part of the platform to stem the tide of non American workers entering the country those visa’s will become very limited.
Student visa’s are now suspect as well. Seeking to reduce the costs of education, scholarships to non American athletes are likely to become much harder to secure, and thus a visa harder to secure.
President Elect Trump has already spoken about eliminating Student Work Visa’s, and H-1B Visa’s. Again this is not an opinion, it is fact that requires preparedness.
Conversely, when these things happen, it is highly likely that those same, or similar practices for American athletes looking to play in foreign countries will see those countries limit their visa numbers. Such is the case with most political maneuvers.
Again, this is not a matter of what is right or wrong. Its not a matter of good or bad. It is a matter of being prepared for the change that is inevitable.
While none of this is written in stone yet. This election was a referendum of change. Immigration, education, health care, and how all of those are tied to finance were the primary agenda items ushered in with the change vote. If you are not prepared for next season before next season, you may find next season looking much differently than you had hopped it would look.
Should you have questions or concerns on how this may effect you directly, please feel free to email.
Joseph Kolodziej – Family Adviser
