# Small and seasonal US businesses rely on about 100,000 international students to boost their staff each summer.

*business · news · 2026-04-18 · Business Insider*

## Key points

- This year, US businesses are requesting 5-10% fewer international student workers than before.
- Delays in the J-1 visa vetting process can cause student workers to arrive late, hurting business capacity.
- Visa availability for participants from Russia and China has notably decreased since pre-COVID times.
- Geopolitical relations and embassy operations directly affect which countries can supply student workers.

**Companies:** United Work & Travel
**Countries:** United States, Russia, China

[Read the full story on Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/foreign-students-j1-visa-summer-jobs-2026-4)

---

Canonical: https://newsio.io/n/5c6befd6-e6a9-40a9-906c-68ad49afb13f/small-and-seasonal-us-businesses-rely-on-about-100000-international-students-to
Summarized by Newsio from Business Insider. https://newsio.io/how-it-works