Proposed federal budget cuts would decimate the U.S. State Department agency charged with overseeing the BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel Program, which many Jersey shore employers rely on to fill critical temporary workforce shortages during peak summer tourism months.
The program allows college and university students enrolled full-time at accredited academic institutions outside the U.S. to travel here on J-1 visas for temporary summer work. These nonimmigrant exchange visitor visas provide seasonal workers to fill jobs at summer camps, amusement parks, waterparks, pools, and other places where seasonal employers are unable to find enough local workers.
NJBIA joins with the Alliance for International Exchange in urging businesses to contact their elected representatives in Washington, D.C., about restoring federal funding cuts affecting international exchange programs. The Alliance has an online form to email members of Congress here.
The president’s FY26 budget request proposes a 93% cut ($691 million) to the U.S. State Department’s international exchange programs. Given that the current budget is $741 million, that would leave only $50 million for all Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) programs and operations.
Denise Beckson, an NJBIA board member and the VP & Chief Administrative and External Affairs Officer at Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Water Parks in Wildwood, said the cuts, if approved by Congress, would “jeopardize the existence of the J-1 program that is vital to our New Jersey business community.”
