In light of the most recent visa-related issues (searching for a replacement for NZR and now MWzera being hard), I was trying to think what could be done to alleviate some of the current disadvantages that LATAM org faces, assuming RIOT won't move VCT Americas from the U.S. nor split the region (imo, best option).
The problem in case you aren't aware:
To participate in VCT, players and coaches have to get a working permit/visa, which I suppose is of the P-1 category (P-1: Individual or Team Athlete, or Member of an Entertainment Group-For applicants who are recognized athletes or members of an entertainment/sports group. They must perform at a specific athletic competition or entertainment performance. Includes persons providing essential services in support of the above individual.), and may take months to get done, as we've already seen a couple of times in these 2~ years of VCT Americas.
To make things worse, the work permit is not granted to the player, its granted to the player in relation with a team ( example: Aspas doesnt have a permit to play VCT Americas or Valorant in the U.S., he has a permit to play Valorant at VCT Americas for MIBR.), meaning Furia can't hire Tuyz ( if he ends up benched for Luk Xo) without him going through the whole visa process again.
With this in mind I was thinking, what if the 5 LATAM orgs that are partners (Kru, Lev, MIBR, Fur, Loud) created a company in the U.S., which the teams would be part of?
Lets call it ValSul. If that is possible, now when they hire a player, they could hire him to play for ValSul, and once the proccess is done, designate him to work on one of the affiliated teams, but if that player doesn't fit a team, he could still play in any of the other 4, as if he was moving from one sector of company to another, instead of moving jobs/companies.
Teams could even agree to hire 6 players each and thus have an entire reserve roster to pull talent from, and if RIOT allowed they could play challengers NA, even if its as an Academy ( but I dont think it is possible because they are hired for VCT Americas only).
But I dont know much about the legal and financial avaiability of that. Does anyone know if this is feasible?
The potential positives : Teams could replace "bad" or sick players easily. Potential "natank" situations could be avoided (even if he isnt south american, a player that moved regions and then found himself without a team in a short time).
The negatives: We would see even less new faces, as players would rotate between these 5 teams more often. Salaries would end up inflated since teams could now easily "pouch" players from other latam teams. It would open up a bit more space for shady business and orgs would be reluctant to trust each other and possibly have to share financial information/roster change info (ex: letting the other teams know they want to hire an specific up and comer) depending on how the company is set up.
RIOT Val could even do this (become the employee, expanding the possibilities of latam players to also join american teams), but there is no reason ($) for them to do it, besides maybe being granted bigger control over the orgs (making sure the money they pass to the orgs is being invested back in the teams).
What do you guys think about this "proposal"?
Thank you for coming to my TED talks.
ps: I know this isnt the optimal place to ask this, since its probably mostly kids around, but its kinda the only place for it also.
Discord