SISTER BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Door County’s busy tourism season is underway, but a pause on visa interviews for international students is leaving some local businesses in limbo.
Joan Hutchinson, general manager at Pheasant Park Resort in Sister Bay, says she hired nine international students through the J-1 visa program this year, with workers coming from Mongolia, Romania, Ecuador, Taiwan and Turkey.
But several of those students are still waiting on visa approvals, and some haven’t even had their interviews scheduled yet.
“I’ve had one that’s had her appointment and still hasn’t heard back,” Hutchinson said. “Another one doesn’t even have her interview until June 10th.”
The delays are already affecting operations at the 58-unit resort. Hutchinson says she’s had to block off rooms from be