Ski areas that employ international workers are likely to feel a staffing crunch in the months and years ahead due to the new administration’s many immigration-related program cuts and restrictions. While the exact impacts are somewhat uncertain, operators should be diligent in their planning because the situation can change at any time.
Why are problems likely? The Trump administration came into office and immediately acted upon numerous immigration-related campaign promises, including:
Deported and removed hundreds of foreign nationals from the U.S.
Ended the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for nationals of Haiti and Venezuela (currently being challenged in court).
Cut the Humanitarian Parole program, ending legal status for about 530,000 Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan nationals (currently being challenged in court).
Enacted a registration requirement for those in the U.S. without status, further instilling fear of imminent deportations in the population.
Cut funding to USAID, an organization that, among other things, assists with staffing U.S. embassies and consulates in some countries.
Laid off federal workers across government agencies, which will likely cause delays for those looking to enter the U.S., as well as those looking to extend immigration benefits in the country.
Increased denials of foreign nationals entering the U.S.; consulate, embassy, and border vetting, including the review of people’s social media; and revocations of valid visas.
Continued unannounced site visits of employers that utilize the J-1 and H-2B visa programs.
These actions create many challenges for employers that utilize international workers. According to the American Immigration Counsel, the U.S. will lose 1 in 14 hospitality workers if the TPS program is cut entirely.
The current immigration climate in the U.S. makes it scary for many immigrants. As a result, some are choosing not to come to the U.S. altogether. I am hearing this more and more from resorts that hire J-1 visa holders. J-1 agencies themselves are telling resorts that workers are choosing other countries, resulting in the agencies needing to recruit more workers to fill employers’ needs.
International workers currently in the States may feel threatened, so it’s important for resorts to check in with them, show them they are valued, and reaffirm support for them. Resorts that offer mental health benefits should make these available to international workers.
J-1s and H-2Bs. Ski areas that rely on the J-1 and H-2B visa programs are rightfully anxious, too, about meeting staffing levels. The J-1 visa program, a cultural exchange that allows international college students and certain others to temporarily live and work in the U.S., is one that the Trump administration has spoken out against.
Conversely, H-2B visas have seen some positives in the first months of the current administration. For example, the administration made 65,000 additional H-2B visas available for workers coming from outside the country, and processing times have improved considerably for H-2B visas over the past few years.
The overarching uncertainty complicates planning, but it would behoove ski area operators to plan for a variety of scenarios, and start that planning as early as possible. If you staff J-1s, you can continue to petition for them as of now. Consider adding H-2Bs to help make up for the shortfall if the J-1 program is nixed or fewer workers are willing to come to the U.S. The petition process takes about six months in total, so if you haven’t started it already, now is the time to do so.
Pabian Law specializes in immigration solutions for the hospitality industry. This document is for educational purposes only.
