Earlier drafts of US Immigration Reform Bill could have damaged take-up of the summer work and travel visa
Fine Gael TD for Wicklow, Andrew Doyle, has said the future of J1 work and travel visas for Irish students during the summer months has been secured after much lobbying in Washington DC for the retention of the programme. Deputy Doyle was speaking during a Topical Issue debate in the Dáil with the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
“There was some concern expressed a number of weeks ago that legislation on immigration reform going through the US Senate would impose burdensome charges and levies on Irish students availing of the J1 summer work and travel visa. Other stipulations included Irish students potentially having to secure employment before leaving Ireland for the US for the summer months. These conditions would be very restrictive if included in the final package, and could have jeopardised the J1 system. Most students travel to the United States without work and only manage to secure employment when they arrive, often through contacts, family friends, relations and the network of Irish Americans.
“Thankfully however, these proposals have been dropped by the US, ensuring many thousands of Irish students will continue to enjoy J1 work and travel visas. The J1 visa has been hugely popular among students. In 2009, 6,700 students spent their summer in the United States. In 2012 almost 10,500 Irish students availed of the scheme, which is an increase of 54%.
“When I was young, masses of Irish people went to the United States, and the tradition has continued over the decades. The participation of tens of thousands of young Irish people in the J1 programme has undoubtedly made an important contribution to the development of our bilateral relationship with the US. This summer already, hundreds of students from Wicklow are in the United States availing of the visa.
“The potential burdensome changes in the US legislation could have dealt a serious blow to the prospects of thousands of Irish students hoping to spend a summer in the States. The Tánaiste, Eamon Gilmore TD, and the Irish embassy in Washington have put in a huge amount of work on this issue and should be complimented in this regard.
“The immigration bill now moves on to the House of Representatives for approval, and I was glad to receive assurances from Minister of State, Joe Costello TD, that the Government will continue to seek to influence the stakeholders there. The Tánaiste is due to visit Washington next week to meet with key players on Capitol Hill to discuss this and other matters.
“I’m delighted that, after extensive lobbying, the J1 summer work and travel visa for Irish students looks set to be continued and its future has been secured.”