Destination Door County Interim CEO Jon Jarosh is thankful for the patience businesses and visitors are showing as longer waits and shorter business hours have crept into the summer tourism season.

Door County has made headlines across the state because of work visa issues that have delayed many seasonal employees from arriving on time. Many of the delays involve the H-2B visa program, which allows businesses to fill nonagricultural jobs for a longer period than the J-1 student visa program.

According to Wisconsin Public Radio, 58% of businesses across the country expect their H-2B workers to arrive at least a month late, and nearly 30% believe the delay could stretch to two months or more.

Jarosh says local businesses struggle to find enough workers to fill seasonal positions during the summer, which is why they rely on the H-2B and J-1 visa programs. He adds that Destination Door County's relationship with the Social Security Administration office in Green Bay helps speed up the process for workers once they arrive.

Along with Director of Partner Services Phil Berndt, Jarosh says this year's challenges have provided valuable lessons that will help Destination Door County better advocate for local businesses with state and federal officials.

Jarosh reminds visitors and businesses that they can still expect great service — it just might look a little different this summer.

He adds that Door County is still expecting a near-record number of J-1 visa workers later this summer, and plans are underway to target specific industries with future workforce recruitment efforts.