New visa opens carnival jobs to foreign workers, sidelining American fair workers
S. 1281 — RIDE Act · Filed by Thom Tillis (R-NC) · 6 cosponsors · Introduced Apr 3, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill creates a new temporary work visa (P-4) for foreign workers in mobile entertainment—carnivals, circuses, and traveling fairs—allowing them to enter the U.S. if the Department of Labor certifies there are insufficient domestic workers available and their employment won't depress wages or working conditions for American workers. The bill also permits spouses and children of visa holders to accompany them.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is straightforward: it creates a new temporary visa category for carnival and circus workers, contingent on DOL labor-market certification. The mechanism is plainly stated, though the certification standard itself is permissive and historically favors employer interests over domestic worker protection.
What the text implies
- The 'not sufficient workers' standard does not require employers to offer competitive wages or conditions to attract domestic labor—only that workers are unavailable at the employer's offered terms, creating a wage-suppression pathway.
- Mobile entertainment is highly seasonal and temporary; workers in this sector often lack stable employment and benefits. Importing foreign labor may further destabilize domestic worker attachment and bargaining power.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
carnival and circus operators; traveling fair and festival organizers; mobile entertainment service providers (food, game, novelty concessions)