The number of J-1 visa holders working on Cape Cod each summer is in decline and the region’s housing crisis could be contributing to the problem.
The J-1 program is a temporary visa for international students to live and work in the U.S.
Last year, the program’s sponsoring agencies tightened the rules that require employers to find housing for students.
Christina Arabadzhieva was recently appointed as the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce’s Workforce Housing Coordinator. She also serves as the Chamber’s J-1 Housing Coordinator.
Arabadzhieva said she's heard, from past J-1 participants, of some bad experiences that the rules will help prevent.
“Overcrowding, five or six students sharing one room with only one bathroom... So, I think they were put in place to protect the students and avoid those unsafe situations and environments for them,” she said.
The rules were in place prior to 2022, but tougher enforcement by the sponsoring agencies started last year.
Arabadzhieva said the agencies require students have housing that’s affordable, safe, and has access to public transportation if necessary.
“I think overall it’s a good rule to have, even though we do have a big problem with housing,” she said.
The stricter rules, paired with limited housing in the region, can make it challenging for local businesses to be part of the J-1 program.
This had led to a noticeable drop in the Cape’s summer workforce in recent years.
There were roughly 5,100 J-1s on the Cape in 2019. Last summer, that number dwindled to 2,100.
Arabadzhieva said the sponsoring agencies have directed 3,000 students away from the Cape and toward other places in the country.
“That is a very sad statistic for our local employers. The seasonal staffing shortage put incredible strain on pretty much every aspect of their business. They have lost revenues and in some cases, they have shortened their season or hours of operation.”
Arabadzhieva said that’s why she’s working to make the community aware that housing is needed for the students in order to fill those seasonal jobs.
J-1 students start arriving in the U.S. for their programs in May. The Cape Cod Chamber of commerce is still looking for eligible hosts. For more information, go to the Chamber’s website .
Arabadzhieva participated in the J-1 program twenty years ago and was placed in Eastham.
