Tourism officials say workers coming into the state on H-2B visas should arrive by Memorial Day, despite processing challenges at the Department of Homeland Security.
Hospitality Maine Executive Director Becky Jacobson says the good news is that the more than 64,000 visas were released in November, earlier than usual, allowing employers to get ahead of the game.
"What we're hearing is that because DHS released the visas reasonably early, November not January or February like has happened in years past, that they are expecting that most of the workers should arrive before Memorial Day," Jacobson said.
H-2B delays last year put many tourism businesses in a bind due to the lack of employees.
Jacobson says tourism numbers for last year show that fewer visitors came to Maine, but they stayed longer. She added that roughly 70 percent of restaurant patrons were from Maine, and that indicates that staycations are the choice of many residents.
