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StarCraft II Gamer Receives US Pro-Athlete Visa

Posted by samzenpus on from the do-you-even-push-buttons? dept.

dotarray writes "The world's first professional StarCraft II gamer has been granted a five-year pro athlete visa for the United States, making Kim 'viOLet' Dong Hwan the first of his kind. viOLet was one of the first gamers to apply for the P-1A visa when they were introduced in July. The new paperwork doesn't mean that he can live permanently in the U.S., but it does mean he'll be treated like other (more traditional) athletes, able to easily enter the country temporarily to participate in tournaments."

2 of 114 comments (clear)

  1. Are other 'sports' treated similarly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Genuinely curious. Does this sort of thing apply to chess, poker, and other "less-traditional sports"?

  2. Re: Doritoes and Wheaties by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    LOL EVERYONE WHO PLAYS VIDEO GAMES IS FAT LOL AND EATS DO RIDE LOL

    The guy looks to be in damn good shape, better shape than most Americans. He gets paid to smash letters on a keyboard just like a huge employment sector already has been for decades. Just because it can be more enjoyable means it needs a stigma attached to it?

    Perhaps the envy will wear off of you one day.