In March 2019, following a day of education at the Chef to Chef Conference in New Orleans, I recall sitting at a table with a group of executive chefs from distinguished private clubs across the country. The dominant topic of conversation was the shrinking pool of talent in our industry and how increasingly difficult it was becoming to fill positions at our respective clubs.
A year later, in March 2020, we held the conference just days before the world shut down. By the time the era of masking and “distancing” had passed, the industry’s talent pool had contracted even further. Up to 33% of hospitality workers opted not to return, citing low pay, poor working conditions, and concerns over job stability.
None of us could have predicted that, five years later, the already-dire staffing situation would be further strained by Executive Orders from the U.S. administration affecting up to 25 percent of the country’s estimated 15 million hospitality workers.
A Disappearing Workforce
Over the past four summer seasons, Cullasaja Club (Highlands, N.C.) has leaned heavily on a blend of J-1 and H-2B visa holders to maintain elevated service standards. Their presence has consistently bridged seasonal staffing gaps. They bring talent, professionalism, energy, and cultural richness to our kitchen.
As Keith Pabian, Founding Partner of Pabian Law in Boston, told seasonal club and resort operators during a recent meeting, “We’re watching a segment of the workforce disappear.” And that segment—a sizable part of our industry—includes the seasonal visa holders we’ve long relied on.
Visa Programs Under Attack
That disappearance isn’t limited to J‑1 and H‑2B visa holders. A wider swath of the hospitality workforce is now imperiled by shifting immigration policy, particularly those under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which grants work authorization and deportation protection to nationals from crisis‑ridden countries. As of September 2024, around 1.1 million people held TPS in the U.S., with roughly 17 percent working in hospitality. Many “came on board with valid employment authorization, but it has since been revoked,” Pabian noted.
Recent Supreme Court orders have cleared the way for the current administration to end TPS for countries such as Venezuela, Haiti, and Afghanistan. This shift affects hundreds of thousands of workers. Florida alone is home to nearly 300,000 TPS holders, 95 percent of whom are employed, contributing more than $485 million in taxes annually.
In response to the ruling, Disney has reportedly placed dozens of Venezuelan TPS holders on unpaid leave, illustrating how quickly the policy shift is affecting major hospitality employers.
Strained Legal Pathways
The J-1 visa, long seen as a reliable seasonal staffing solution, is now under heightened scrutiny and facing logistical hurdles. Created in 1961 to promote international understanding through educational and cultural exchange, the program has become increasingly difficult to navigate. According to Keith Pabian, budget cuts and new reporting requirements are straining sponsor agencies. Embassy denials are rising, some foreign nationals are choosing not to travel, and others have faced ICE enforcement actions following visa revocations or delays due to country-specific travel advisories.
While J-1 programs face mounting obstacles, the H-2B visa program remains a relative bright spot with caveats. The program allows U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers for seasonal jobs. Created in 1986, approximately 47 percent of the 133,164 H-2B visa holders in 2023 worked in hospitality, landscaping, or similar service sectors.
Unlike TPS or J-1, the H-2B program has, so far, endured. In 2025, the U.S. government effectively doubled the cap by adding 64,716 additional seasonal slots. All returning-worker visas were claimed almost immediately. While the expansion is welcomed and offers hope, delays at consulates and embassies continue to hinder the timely arrival of workers. Even approved visas face logistical hurdles.
Impact at the Club Level
At Cullasaja, the staffing squeeze is not theoretical—it’s real. We rely on precisely timed seasonal arrival of H-2B and J-1 workers. For many clubs, that rhythm has been derailed by last-minute cancellations from visa holders reluctant to travel and by embassy appointment delays that push arrivals past opening dates. Some operations have seen spikes in labor costs while scrambling to secure domestic coverage.
Club chefs have had to adjust menus and cross-train with urgency. The greatest concern is not a lack of skill, it’s the looming possibility of trimming member experiences simply due to short staffing.
Daniel Montano, CEC, Executive Chef at Mizner Country Club (Delray Beach, Fla.), shares how critical seasonal support can be: “This was my first year experiencing the H-2B program and it completely reshaped what I thought seasonal staffing could be. These team members brought skills, culture, and heart. Without them, delivering the season our members expect would not have been possible.”
Although the H-2B program itself has not been dismantled, recent intensified immigration enforcement and changing visa policies have made the U.S. a less attractive destination for international seasonal workers. Any drop in the availability of H-2B candidates will heighten competition for an already constrained domestic labor pool in seasonal industries.
Proactive Strategies for Success: To stay ahead, we’ve adopted a series of targeted strategies designed to strengthen operations, reduce risk, and create a more resilient workforce model.
Cross-Training Staff: We’ve ensured that domestic and returning staff are capable of stepping into essential roles when needed.
Diversifying Recruitment Channels: We have built strong connections with local culinary schools, forged partnerships with clubs operating in opposite seasons, and strengthened our local and national networks by participating in annual industry events, such as PlateCraft and the Chef to Chef Conference.
We also remain active in professional organizations like the Club + Resort Chef Association and the Club Managers Association of America, allowing us to collaborate on labor solutions with our peers.
Tightening H-2B Compliance: Our team works closely with legal advisors to remain fully aligned with Department of Labor regulations. We keep job descriptions current, maintain archived schedules, and organize comprehensive training schedules upon arrival.
Adjusting Seasonal Forecasting: Based on multiple seasons of experience, we’ve refined our budgeting and prep timelines to reflect the realities of visa processing rather than relying on optimistic projections.
Creating a Positive Environment: We offer housing, transportation, weekly excursions, a professional and growth-oriented workplace, and competitive pay. These benefits position us as a desirable employer within the H-2B network, with many employees returning year after year.
Auditing I-9 Forms: Pabian emphasizes that “the employer has a responsibility to audit I-9 forms to understand if employees are affected by the end of a program.” This is essential, not only to ensure legal compliance, but also to anticipate workforce impacts early.
A Call to the Industry
The message is clear: Hospitality leaders cannot afford to wait. Visa expiration timelines, shifting global conditions, and changing immigration policies are all moving targets. As Pabian Law cautions: “Plan now or struggle later.”
Know which visa programs your operation depends on. Track expiration dates and legal statuses closely. Build a more flexible staffing model before gaps become crises.
This is not just an immigration issue; it is a workforce challenge already playing out in kitchens, dish rooms, prep areas, and dining rooms across the country.
Visa pipelines are under pressure. Longstanding staffing models can no longer be taken for granted. But with the right strategy—legal preparedness, broader recruitment, competitive incentives, and operational adaptability—clubs can remain steady in the face of uncertainty.
The future of club dining and hospitality depends on the choices we make now. This is the inflection point. As Mr. Pabian advised our group, “Now is the time to think strategically.”
