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Future of thousands of J1 student visas safe

There was concern that legislation on immigration reform going through the US Senate would wipe out the J1 visa.

STUDENTS ACROSS THE country can breathe a sigh of relief after it was revealed today that the future of J1 work and travel visas are safe.

Andrew Doyle, Fine Gael TD for Wicklow speaking during a Topical Issue debate in the Dáil said they had been secured after much lobbying in Washington DC.

There was some concern that legislation on immigration reform going through the US Senate would wipe out the J1 visa by imposing charges and levies on Irish students. Other stipulations included Irish students potentially having to secure employment before leaving Ireland for the US for the summer months.

These proposals have now been dropped by the US.

In 2009, 6,700 students spent their summer in the United States, while three years later in 2012, almost 10,500 Irish students availed of the scheme, an increase of 54 per cent.

“When I was young, masses of Irish people went to the United States, and the tradition has continued over the decades,” said Doyle. “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.”

Illegal Irish immigrants

The immigration bill now moves on to the House of Representatives for approval. If passed, it would lead to legal status for millions of people without papers in the country.

There are an estimated 50,000 undocumented Irish immigrants in the United States who are ineligible for social security but can’t return home to Ireland as if they do they could be barred from re-entering the US.

Related: Employer sponsorship proposal ‘could wipe out’ J1 visas>
More: 16 things you’ll remember from your J1 experience>

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6 Comments
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    Mute Victor Ajani
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    Jul 3rd 2013, 9:09 PM

    Great, but could the Irish government also arrange some kind of ‘pathway’ to regularization for illegal Immigrants in Ireland? You know, reciprocate what they have been begging for? Or are they less worthy…

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    Mute W.j.d.
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    Jul 3rd 2013, 9:16 PM

    It’s not always I agree with you…. In this case I do…

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    Mute Victor Ajani
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    Jul 3rd 2013, 9:23 PM

    @w.j.d: Thank you.. The issue is currently being brushed under the carpet but eventually something will need to be done. You can’t deport them all.. so there needs to be a system of figuring out who should be allowed stay and a pathway worked out for them to be legal.. I’m sure the illegal Irish in the states would agree with that..

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    Mute john mc carthy
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    Jul 3rd 2013, 9:30 PM

    Illegal aliens as sting says

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    Mute Marlon Major
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    Jul 4th 2013, 9:13 AM

    Absolutely frustrated….. On one hand… Our Irish politicians… Lobby, argue and fight to insure illegal Irish in America are rewarded for their illegal actions and get to stay in America…. On the other hand, our Irish politicians do nothing to ease the way for Americans seeking naturalization in Ireland.

    As always…. I great politicians are in the middle of hypocrisy.

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    Mute gerbreen
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    Jul 4th 2013, 12:56 AM

    Thats a job for finian mcgrath …

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