Rotorua hospitality businesses shut down on Monday in protest at not being able to get the workers they need.
One says it will be catastrophic for the tourist town if they can't get staff before summer.
"We need staff because this is the darkest day in the history of Rotorua hospitality," one restaurant owner said.
"I don't know how we're going to get out of this because this is about as serious as it gets," said Richard Sewell, owner of Urbano Bistro Cafe & Restaurant.
More than 30 Rotorua businesses closed their doors to send the message they don't have the staff they need to open them.
"We used to be a 95-hour-a-week restaurant and currently we operate approximately 55 hours," said Sewell.
"Sometimes we have to wait for even a job check for eight weeks, ten weeks," said another restaurant owner.
That's the wait for Immigration New Zealand to check there are no Kiwis who can do the work - a requirement before employers look overseas.
"We just need a helping hand. Fast-track the immigration so we at least have a chance to survive," said Sewell.
National immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford said restaurant owners and staff are struggling.
"There are staff today who are working seven days a week, 12-hour shifts, just to keep businesses. They're tired, they're anxious, they're stressed but they can't get cover to give them that break that they need."
The Prime Minister said on average job checks are now taking six days.
"The ability for people to come in is there, the issue there is a global shortage and a global hunt for workers," Jacinda Ardern said.
Hospitality businesses though rely heavily on working holidaymakers to fill their rosters and before COVID-19, between 50,000 to 70,000 of such visas were granted a year
Figures obtained by Newshub show since the working holiday scheme reopened in May, of the 36,000 applications, more than 32,000 were approved. Almost 900 were declined, but more than 2000 are yet to be processed.
Of those that have been approved, only 11,000 - about one-third - have arrived in the country.
"If we can't get them here before summer there are going to be catastrophic causes [consequences]," said Sewell.
"Naturally, perhaps I believe people will be waiting for our summer months, of course. It will be in everyone's interest to see those numbers picking up quickly," said Ardern.
Hoping the lure of a classic Kiwi summer will be enough.
