OCEAN CITY, Md. - Businesses in Ocean City say J-1 summer work travel students remain a critical part of the resort’s seasonal workforce, and concerns about visa delays could make it harder for employers to keep up once the busy season begins.
The issue comes as hotels, restaurants and attractions across town continue staffing up ahead of Memorial Day weekend and the summer rush.
Amy Thompson, president and CEO of the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, said the J-1 program plays a major role in helping businesses meet the sharp seasonal jump in demand.
“The influx of these international exchange visitors, the J-1 visa students is huge for employers in Ocean City,” Thompson said.
She said Ocean City is one of the country’s largest summer work travel communities and relies heavily on those students to help businesses serve visitors during the tourism season.
Thompson said the chamber has heard concerns through advocacy partners and sponsor organizations that visa appointments are becoming harder to secure in some countries, potentially slowing the process for students trying to get to the United States in time for summer jobs.
“We’re talking 50 to 90% reduction in some countries for some of these interviews,” Thompson said. “Obviously, that’s going to bottleneck the process for these students to check all the boxes to get here.”
Susan Jones, executive director of OCMD Hospitality, said the stakes are high in a town that depends so heavily on seasonal labor.
“We have about 12,000 seasonal positions,” Jones said. “And the J-1s typically fill about 4,000 of those.”
Jones said those workers are spread across the hospitality industry, including hotels, restaurants and attractions. She said employers have grown used to leaning on the program each year because there are simply not enough local workers to meet the demand on their own.
At Princess Royale, Director of Human Resources Nik Johnson said the concern is not just theoretical. He said some students expected to arrive before Memorial Day still do not have visa appointments, while others are scheduled for embassy interviews after they were originally supposed to be in Ocean City.
“We’ve had quite a bit of problems,” Johnson said. “We still have students to where they don’t have visa appointments at all.”
Johnson said that could leave businesses short-handed during some of the most important early-season weekends. He said the impact would likely be felt not just behind the scenes, but by customers as well.
“Maybe we’re short on housekeepers because the students weren’t here and they may be delayed in check in, or maybe it was one of our cooks, and now they’re waiting a long time for their meals to come out,” Johnson said.
Even with those concerns, local business leaders said they expect employers to adapt if necessary.
Jones pointed to the Covid-19 period, when far fewer J-1 students made it to Ocean City, as proof businesses can adjust when staffing falls short. Thompson also said employers and sponsors have been preparing earlier than usual this year because they anticipated possible challenges in the visa process.
Still, she said the goal is to make sure businesses are as fully staffed as possible and that students who do arrive have a safe and positive experience in Ocean City.
The Ocean City Chamber of Commerce is scheduled to hold its Summer Work Travel Conference on Tuesday, where employers, sponsors and other partners are expected to discuss current issues affecting the program.