Hiring Hotel and Restaurant Workers from Abroad in 2026
US hotels, resorts, and restaurants mostly rely on the capped H-2B program for seasonal staff and on J-1 exchange programs such as Summer Work Travel and hospitality internships; year-round roles need a slow PERM and EB-3 green card. In Canada, hospitality is one of the hardest sectors in 2026: accommodation and food services are not exempt from the low-wage LMIA refusal in 26 of 41 metro areas, several provinces cap or exclude hospitality from their nominee programs, and open-permit holders such as IEC working holiday participants are often the most practical hires.
On this page
- USA: seasonal and year-round options
- Canada: the 2026 LMIA squeeze on hospitality
- Canada: permanent residence for hospitality staff
- Canada: hiring people who already have open work permits
- How long does it take?
- Government fees at a glance (September 2026)
- Common mistakes hospitality employers make
- Frequently asked questions
- Official sources
- US seasonal staff
- H-2B (66,000 cap; FY 2026 supplement up to 64,716)
- US exchange programs
- J-1 Summer Work Travel, intern, and trainee
- US year-round staff
- PERM and EB-3 (long waits)
- US managers
- TN hotel manager (Canadians and Mexicans); L-1 for hotel groups
- Canada low-wage LMIA
- Refused in 26 of 41 metro areas (Jul 10 to Oct 8, 2026); hospitality not exempt
- Canada provinces
- Hospitality capped or excluded in SK, MB, NB; Alberta stream nearly full
- Canada open permits
- IEC, PGWP, and spousal permit holders need no LMIA
USA: seasonal and year-round options
| Need | Route | Key limits |
|---|---|---|
| Summer or winter season staff (housekeeping, line cooks, servers, lift operators) | H-2B | 66,000 a year; file on the first eligible day; prevailing wage and three-fourths guarantee |
| Students on summer break | J-1 Summer Work Travel | Through a State Department-designated sponsor; seasonal and limited to eligible students |
| Structured training for hospitality graduates or professionals | J-1 intern or trainee | Must be a real training plan, not ordinary staffing |
| Year-round cooks, housekeepers, maintenance | PERM and EB-3 | Years of waiting; interviews abroad paused since August 25, 2026 |
| Hotel managers from Canada or Mexico | TN (hotel manager) | Needs a bachelor's degree in hotel or restaurant management, or a diploma plus 3 years of experience |
| Managers from a hotel group's foreign property | L-1 | 1 year with the foreign affiliate |
H-2B in 2026. DHS added up to 64,716 supplemental visas for FY 2026, mostly reserved for returning workers, for employers attesting irreparable harm. Whether FY 2027 (starting October 1, 2026) gets a supplement depends on Congress. H-2B employers don't have to provide housing, but many resorts do; any housing deduction must be lawful and disclosed. Nationals of the 19 fully restricted travel ban countries cannot get H-2B visas, and J-1 visas are also suspended for the 20 partially restricted countries.
Canada: the 2026 LMIA squeeze on hospitality
Most hotel and restaurant jobs pay below the high-wage threshold (the provincial median plus 20%, for example CAD $36.92 an hour in Ontario from July 17, 2026), so they fall in the low-wage stream, which now means:
- Refusal areas. Accommodation and food services are not exempt. For July 10 to October 8, 2026, low-wage LMIAs are refused in 26 of 41 metro areas, including Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa-Gatineau, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Jobs in resort towns and rural areas outside any census metropolitan area are not affected. The list updates October 9, 2026. See refusal areas.
- 8 weeks of advertising with youth outreach (since April 1, 2026).
- A 10% cap on low-wage foreign workers per work location (1 worker at locations with fewer than 10 employees). Rural locations in participating provinces get temporary flexibility until March 31, 2027.
- Round-trip travel, affordable housing, and private health insurance.
- 1-year permits.
Details: LMIA guide.
Canada: permanent residence for hospitality staff
| Program | Hospitality in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Saskatchewan Existing Work Permit | Accommodation and food services capped at 714 nominations (15%), intake windows only |
| Manitoba Temporary Resident Retention Pilot | Hospitality and food services excluded for applications after February 4, 2026 |
| New Brunswick Express Entry | Accommodation and food services not being invited since February 3, 2026 |
| Alberta Tourism and Hospitality Stream | Only 156 nominations for 2026; 141 used by mid-September |
| BC Entry Level and Semi-Skilled | Closed |
| Ontario Workforce Priority stream | TEER 4-5 pathway accepts job offers in any occupation, subject to employer rules |
| Atlantic Immigration Program | TEER 0-4 year-round jobs with a designated employer |
| RCIP | If the community lists hospitality occupations as a priority |
Chefs and cooks in skilled roles can also qualify for Express Entry programs based on their TEER level.
Canada: hiring people who already have open work permits
Workers with open work permits can be hired without an LMIA or employer compliance fee:
- IEC working holiday participants from partner countries, a common source of resort and restaurant staff
- PGWP holders who studied in Canada
- Spousal open work permit holders
- Bridging open work permit holders waiting for PR
Check the permit's expiry date and conditions, and keep a copy on file.
How long does it take?
| Route | Plan for |
|---|---|
| US H-2B for an April 1 start | DOL filing opens about 90 days before (January 1), and demand is very high on the first day |
| US H-2B for an October to March start | File 75 to 90 days before the start date |
| US J-1 | The sponsor's timeline plus consular interviews |
| US PERM and EB-3 | Years |
| Canada low-wage LMIA | 8 weeks of ads, ESDC processing, then the work permit |
| Canada open-permit hires | Immediate, if the permit is valid |
A practical plan for 2026: fill seasonal peaks with H-2B or J-1 in the US and open-permit holders in Canada, and move your best year-round staff toward permanent residence early, through PERM in the US or a provincial or Atlantic route in Canada, before their temporary status runs out.
Government fees at a glance (September 2026)
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| US H-2B fraud fee | $150 |
| US H-2B premium processing | $1,780 |
| US H-2B I-129 | See the USCIS fee schedule (depends on named or unnamed workers and employer size) |
| US Asylum Program Fee | $600; $300 small; $0 nonprofit |
| Canada LMIA | CAD $1,000 per position |
| Canada work permit | CAD $155 plus $85 biometrics |
See US costs, Canada costs, and the sponsorship cost estimator.
Common mistakes hospitality employers make
- Filing H-2B for year-round positions. A hotel open all year needs to show a real seasonal or peakload need.
- Using J-1 interns as regular staff. J-1 programs require real training plans and sponsor oversight.
- Applying for low-wage LMIAs in refusal-area cities without an exemption.
- Charging tip-outs, uniforms, or housing in ways that drop pay below the required wage.
- Recruiters abroad who charge workers. Banned in H-2B and in Canada; see scam protection.
- Relying on a provincial stream that is capped or closed for hospitality in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How can a US resort hire foreign seasonal staff?
Mainly through H-2B, which is capped at 66,000 a year, and J-1 Summer Work Travel for eligible students. File H-2B applications as early as DOL allows, because the cap often fills fast.
Can a Toronto restaurant get a low-wage LMIA in 2026?
Not between July 10 and October 8, 2026, because Toronto is on the refusal list and food services are not exempt. A high-wage LMIA or an open-permit hire are the alternatives.
Which Canadian provinces still nominate hospitality workers?
Options are narrow in 2026. Saskatchewan caps hospitality with intake windows, Alberta's tourism stream is nearly full, and Manitoba and New Brunswick exclude it from some streams. Ontario's TEER 4-5 pathway, the AIP, and some RCIP communities remain possible.
Can we hire IEC working holiday participants?
Yes. They hold open work permits, so you don't need an LMIA or to pay the employer compliance fee.
Can hotel managers use TN?
Yes. Hotel manager is a USMCA profession for Canadian and Mexican citizens with a bachelor's degree in hotel or restaurant management, or a diploma plus 3 years of experience.
Is there a green card route for hotel housekeepers?
Yes, through PERM and EB-3 'other worker', but the wait is usually years, and immigrant visa interviews abroad have been paused since August 25, 2026.
Official sources
General information, not legal advice. NorthAmericans.com is independent and not affiliated with any government.