Asinine and infuriating that this regime that came to power whining about “cancel culture” now unlawfully invokes it at the border.
To keep it horse-related, it has always been a source of amusement to me that some of the Trumpiest of America First Trump financiers at WEF employ European trainers, Irish riders, and Canadian & LatinAmerican help. But I love that melting pot of characters so I am not inclined to name names on the hypocrisy. It’s just another contributor to my skyrocketing blood pressure.
36 Likes
Yeah it’s definitely horse related, most grooms and riders here on short term visas are young and grew up online and they aren’t going to go for this. It’s already impossible to hire, I know two barn mangers who just negotiated HUGE salary increases this month. Employers were smart enough to see the writing on the wall and lock good employees in.
It’s going to absolutely kill the ski industry this year too. They deserve it the way they treat employees but still, be prepared for huuuge lift lines.
12 Likes
And all the associated locally owned businesses that are in ski towns (e.g., restaurants, lift shops, property management). It’s as if people who have no critical thinking skills were empowered to enact policy /s
25 Likes
Oh they’ve already driven those out of business along with the locals. Ski towns are all corporate owned now top to bottom and they get a piece of everything. Then they bring Australian college kids over for the winter and house them in mold infested dorms without reliable heat and slop for food and pay them peanuts. The old ski bum culture is all but gone. It’s usually cheaper to fly to the alps and ski than go anywhere in the USA if you only go for a week or two.
3 Likes
I live in the midst of three major VT ski areas. Some - but not all! - of the mountains in the state are indeed corporate owned, but the businesses in our surrounding towns, even adjacent to Vail owned properties, are very much not corporate shills. Restaurant owner friends are getting as creative as they can, but even they are utilizing visa programs to staff up with people coming from South America and Central Europe for seasonal work. Vermont is in the throes of a massive housing crisis (too multi-factored to go into here) but that is having a huge impact on staffing nearly every type of business in the state. But whatever happens with visa restrictions is going to threaten local businesses here, and that will ripple through people who really live and work in this community.
4 Likes
Out west AirBnB and Vail or Vail like property developers have gutted almost every small ski town. It’s been really sad to watch. I hope Vermont and the NE manages to hang on and keep some local business alive, Tahoe has kept some and I imagine that having alternative housing, dining and lodging options nearby is a big factor. Many other western resorts are an hour plus drive to the next town and since short term rental investors bought everything and drove everyone out of town it’s simply not feasible for people to live anywhere near them. It’s been alarming watching horse shows do the same thing tbh.
8 Likes
I thought I saw an article where that was just for student visas? It’s all visas now?
The link I posted will answer all your questions if you read it
9 Likes
Oh I thought it was just bolded I didn’t realize it was actually a link
ETA
I read it, it is F M J student visas NOT all visas
1 Like
Those are not all student visas.
8 Likes
This sort of thing won’t help.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has reported that 84 individuals were arrested on June 17 at Delta Downs Racetrack in Vinton, La. https://paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/ice-reports-84-arrests-during-raid-at-delta-downs
5 Likes
"The F visa allows entry to the US as a full-time student at an accredited college, university or other academic institution, or in a language training programme.
The M visa is for vocational and non-academic programmes.
The most well known, the J visa, is for summer work and travel for students, but is also availed of by those involved in professional, academic, and cultural exchange activities."
Happy to be proven wrong but the article you posted (excerpted above) states the F, M, and J visas are related to study and exchange programs.
State Department: Study & Exchange
1 Like
J visas include lots of people like early career doctors. As if other policies weren’t going to be devastating enough to medical care in this country, this one could be really, really deadly, particularly in rural areas. Very scary.
19 Likes
J visas are intended for temporary stays that promote cultural exchange, with the expectation that participants return to their home country afterward. This is not an exhaustive list, but those visas are for students, interns, trainees, Au pairs, camp counselors, teachers, medical grads in fellowship/residency programs, professors/research scholars etc.
This absolutely does not just impact students. Have a friend that is planning on hosting an exchange student for the year coming this fall, and they are currently seeing how this will impact their situation.
16 Likes
If au pairs can come in on a J-1, probably grooms, working students, riders, etc. can as well.
For example, https://ramadressagefoundation.org/how-to-become-an-rdf-equestrian-host/
Besides, restrictions on some visas is going to impact the willingness of people from other countries to come to the US.
6 Likes
There is already a million reply thread on this on the racing forum…sigh
1 Like
A not insignificant number of flat riders and such like do travel as au pairs already.
4 Likes
Thanks! Very helpful.
2 Likes
According to the article they are. Not all college students but students just the same. In any event not ALL visas
They are all student/job education involved
Do you want whatever administration is in charge looked at your social media profile for anything they disagree with? And deciding if you are a good American or a bad American? It starts with students.
MOST people aren’t exactly going to have “death to America” on their FB profile but I’ve seen tons of people posting things that they really don’t understand the meaning of, or things that are relatively tame.
14 Likes
