Immigration Law

New Work and Travel Program for Irish Students and Grads

By John Combs

The United States and Ireland soon will begin to implement a Twelve-Month Intern Work and Travel Pilot Program for post-secondary students or young people within twelve months of graduation. The new program is an innovative exchange program that will allow thousands of young people from Ireland to enter the United States for a period of twelve months on a J-1 exchange visitor visa. There also will be reciprocal opportunities for young people from the United States to travel to Ireland. This will allow students from both countries to participate in a variety of internships, and to travel independently within the United States and Ireland.

The program will be coordinated by the private sector under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State?s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, and falls under the Intern Category of the Exchange Visitor Program. This program is set to be launched in late 2008 or early 2009. Further details and prerequisites on the program will be available from the U.S. Embassy in Dublin and Ireland?s Embassy in Washington, DC.

Full post as published by Immigration Law for Employers on September 26, 2008 (boomark / email).