Execration shut out of Boston Major due to visa delays: “It could have been avoided”

Another visa bureaucratic process has claimed victims in the Dota 2 scene. Days before the Boston Major, the directly invited Filipino sensations, Execration, have been informed that they will not be able to travel to the United States to participate in the event. Their visas have been delayed, due to inadequate timing of receiving documents and gaining USCIS approval. LGD have already been identified to step in their place and are currently headed to Boston.

Execration received a direct invite to the Boston Major at the end of October, only to have their dreams crushed in the witching hour before the event.

The Filipino team’s hopes came crashing down, as they were informed by USCIS (the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) that they were still in need of a final document from Valve to complete the visa application.

According to Execration’s official statement, the players have not been denied their visas, but are still in the process of trying to obtain the documents needed for approval.

Execration is applying for P1 visa. We already have our interview and our passport is in US embassy waiting for petition to be approved. Petition is between valve and USCIS, once valve presented all the required documents, then USCIS will approved the petition and we will be given visa. No one is denied of their visa, its just valve did not finished the petition in time for reasons we dont know, so US embassy cannot grant us visa until all documents is presented by valve to USCIS. We will still get the Visa but not in time for groupstage (December 3). The Main Stage Event is December 7 after the seeding will be decided.

When asked if the team would have considered taking a lower seed and traveling to Boston in time for the main event, Execration told DotaBlast that “they (note: Valve) don’t consider it” and that it was Valve’s decision to look for another team as replacement.

Although Execration will not be able to attend the Boston Major, the organization and players will still pursue getting their P-1 Athlete visas completed. Since their visa applications were not denied, the completed process might prove useful in the future, ensuing that “we won’t face any problem again for the next Major and TI,” as Execration hopes.

“It’s really quite a shame, since it could have been avoided,” Execration told DotaBlast. “We were supposed to be ready early on, but USCIS asked for additional paperwork two more times, the last being only yesterday, November 29th.”

With Boston being out of reach, the team will now turn their attention to ESL ONE Genting 2017, scheduled to take place in January.

LGD has already been identified as the replacement team and is currently enroute to Boston.

The Chinese team seems to have no difficulties with traveling to the US on short notice and will bring the tally to six teams representing the Chinese reagion.

Wang Theatre

The Boston Major main event will be held between December 7th-11th, at the Wang Theater, in Boston, USA, with a set prize-pool of $3,000,000. Sixteen teams will compete in the main event hosted by PGL and Valve. Wings Gaming, Digital Chaos, Evil Geniuses, Newbee, EHOME, Execration, OG and MVP.Phoenix have been directly invited to the event. Team NP, compLexity, LGD.FY, iG Vitality, Ad Finem, Virtus.Pro, Team Faceless and WarriorsGaming.Unity have all qualified for the event. The group stage is set to take place between December 3rd-4th.