ROUNDUP
STATUS QUO FOR J-1 VISAS, FOR NOW
Ski area recruiting via the J-1 visa program shaped up well for this winter, but the future is less certain.
By Linda Goodspeed
A Matter of Time? “We do anticipate challenges to the pro- gram throughout the Trump adminis- tration,” said Stearns at Sierra-at-Tahoe. “The program has been challenged a couple times in the past few years and, thankfully, has been maintained. We fear it’s only a matter of time, though, so coming up with Plans B, C and D is im- portant right now.” Stearns mentioned more empha- sis on domestic recruiting and possibly in-country H-2B visa workers (that is, documented foreign workers who are already in the U.S.). The Trump admin- istration has noticeably expanded the H-2B program. But Stearns said, “We’re not even trying for regular H-2Bs due to the October 1 start date.”
each year, down to about 50 this year where we would like to keep it. “It’s not necessarily in response to the current administration or other chal- lenges,” she added, “but more of a com- pany initiative to further develop our local workforce and more year-round opportunities. “The J-1 program is a fantastic cul- tural program,” Benton continued. “It was really made to create international partnerships, friendships. It’s what we want to use it for; not rely on it as nec- essary. Obviously, we do use J-1 workers because we need to use them, but we want to need them less.” Interestingly, in an echo of what many businesses are saying about sum- mer tourism—that international visitors have increasingly decided not to come to the U.S. this summer—Benton said Taos sent out 40 offers to previous J-1 workers for this winter. “Only 10 responded pos- itively,” she said. “The other ones said they are not coming to the U.S.” Typically, Benton said, “80 to 90 per- cent of responses are positive. We get most of them back. Not this year.” Benton said Taos will still end up hir- ing about 50 J-1 workers for the coming ski season. “We are in a unique, lucky spot with the strength of our local workforce. We already want to reduce our internation- al numbers, and are taking advantage of this administration to help us do that.” An Eye on the Future Rachel Wessel, employee services man- ager at Brundage, Idaho, summed up the J-1 situation at many resorts: “We have not noticed any drop in participation or interest as we are preparing for winter 2025-26, but are paying close attention to ensure there aren’t going to be any interruptions or issues with the program coming to fruition this winter.” » cont.
Despite a new application process that requires J-1 seasonal workers to make their social media accounts public so authorities can review them for content that might be deemed hostile to the U.S., ski resorts report interest and participation in the pro- gram remained high heading into the all-important winter hiring season. “We have not seen an impact yet. Our numbers are strong, plus a waitlist of stu- dents,” said Melinda Stearns, HR director at Sierra-at-Tahoe, Calif. “We have had no drop in interest,” added Kate Sullivan, director of market- ing and communications at Windham Mountain Club, N.Y., which typically hires 40-60 J-1s and will bring on 43 this winter. “The agency we work with is still seeing a high volume of applications and enthusiasm for employment.” Ditto at Camelback, Pa., which hires a total of about 200 J-1s, summer and winter. “We are very fortunate to have them,” added Mary Popovich, VP of HR. Brian Heon, general manager at Sun- day River, Maine, concurred. “We have not seen a noticeable drop in interest or enthusiasm. Many of our returning team members stay in touch with us season to season. They typically support a range of departments, from mountain operations to food and beverage, and help us main- tain a high level of service for our guests.” The heightened scrutiny of J-1 appli- cants, which included a three-week pause in the program (that left many wondering if it would be available at all), is part of the Trump administration’s effort to weed out so-called “undesirable” immigrants. While the J-1 visa program is back up and running (for now), some are wondering about the future and how long it might be around. Many ski resorts and other seasonal businesses rely on the program to hire workers during peak business times.
“THE J-1 PROGRAM IS
A FANTASTIC CULTURAL
PROGRAM. IT WAS REALLY
MADE TO CREATE INTER-
NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS,
FRIENDSHIPS. IT’S WHAT
WE WANT TO USE IT FOR.”
Reducing Reliance on J-1s Taos Ski Valley, N.M., is already learn- ing to live with fewer J-1 workers. From a high of roughly 100 J-1 employees in 2022-23, Taos has slowly cut its reliance on the program in half. HR director Suzie Benton said the high-water mark was due largely to a local labor shortage as a result of the pan- demic. “Since then, we have been slowly reducing our reliance on the J-1 program
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