J-1 2017: US embassy announces 2,600 extra visas

The US embassy has announced an additional 2,600 J-1 work and travel visas for Irish students for summer 2017.

This brings Ireland’s J-1 SWT (Summer Work and Travel) visa allocation to 7,000 in total, which is in line with figures for 2015, before the introduction of the pre-placement policy by independent US sponsoring agencies.

US president Donald Trump had promised to end the J-1 programme during his election campaign to make way for a jobs programme for young Americans in inner cities.

According to US state department data, Ireland consistently receives the fifth highest number of J-1 visas, just behind larger countries like Germany and Brazil.

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However, per capita, Ireland receives the most visas by far.

Changes were made to the J-1 application process last year, as a result of which students now have to source a job before they can travel to the US under the programme.

In the past, students had a period of three weeks after arriving in the US to find a job.

The US embassy in Dublin said it is fully committed to the success of the J-1 programme in Ireland.

Applications

The US embassy in Dublin advises students who are interested in applying for the J-1 Summer Work and Travel (SWT) programme in 2017 to begin the application process as soon as possible and to be proactive in their search for jobs.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan has previously voiced concerns over the changes to the programme.

He said changes to the requirements “may prove challenging for many students and this may in turn impact on the numbers of students participating in the programme”.

For more information, you can visit the US embassy's website.