VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — With the summer season starting, you can expect to see a lot of international students working at hotels along the Oceanfront or even at Busch Gardens. However, a pause on new student visa appointments could impact this.
Last week, the U.S. State Department ordered embassies to pause new student visa appointments, which is the last step in the process of applying for visas.
Radlyn Mendoza, an immigration attorney with 25 years of experience, explained that the State Department is taking all appointments off the books for F-1, M-1, and J-1 visas in order to conduct enhanced social media vetting of applicants’ accounts.
Mendoza noted that the J-1 visa is used for students who want to work in the U.S. while attending school.
She stated that for this summer, those who are already working should be fine.
“For the summer season, those workers have probably already been issued their visas and will be coming,” Mendoza said. “However, for different seasons and waves, there could be a shortage of these workers in the tourism industry.”
Martha Davenport with the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association tells News 3 that since the pandemic, restaurants have relied less on those workers.
“I would say at this particular time, J-1 visa students represent less than 1 percent of the overall workforce in your local mom-and-pop restaurants,” Davenport said.
However, she added that it’s a different story for businesses like hotels and shops.
“So, hospitality groups like Gold Key PHR and Coastal Hospitality are able to bring in larger groups of J-1 visa students because they are employing them not only in the hotel industry, but also in their restaurant operations. That’s where you see a different dynamic,” Davenport explained.
Only time will tell what the pause could mean for tourism in the future.
Mendoza expressed concern, stating, “If the delays continue, then what’s going to happen to these positions that need to be filled?”
Davenport also mentioned that restaurants, in general, are desperately in need of staff—something diners may notice the next time they eat out.
