Texas Rangers starting pitcher Ryan Dempster has been placed on the restricted list after he wasn’t able to make his scheduled start against the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this month. Cited as “personal issues”, it’s been made clear that Dempster either has passport issues, immigration issues or visa issues that he will not talk about and are preventing him from visiting Canada to pitch. It’s not really apparent what specifically is the problem according to news outlets, but some are reporting that he lost his passport. 
Others are speculating that he may have applied for a change to a visa or even permanent residence status in the United States, and that leaving the States would put his application in jeopardy.
Would Dempster be denied entry to the United States?
Dempster was actually born in Canada, and lived in Canada until he was finished high school. But he hasn’t been back to pitch in Canada since 2004.
It is very possible he applied for a change of status while in the United States, and that if he left the United States while it was pending he would face difficulty getting back in the United States. He would even have to start the process all over again if that was indeed what he was doing.
Whichever the reason for Dempster’s mysterious inability to come and play the Toronto Blue Jays, always remember that you need a valid passport to travel between the United States and Canada! Always make sure you have a valid passport as soon as you need to travel between the United States and Canada, because it can take a couple of months for you to get your passport renewed.
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
