Irish nationals who are looking to relocate and work in the states may be offered a huge boost in their hopes if the new visa gets approvals. A new deal is being discussed in the United States right now which could see Ireland share an allocation of visas with Australians, this could amount to 5000 extra visas being made available for Irish immigrants each year.
The bill which is being introduced to congress by Massachusetts Democrat Richard Neal and Wisconsin Republican Jim Sensenbrenner would extend application for E3 visas – currently only available to Australians – to the Irish.
At the moment there are 10,500 E3 visas available for Australians each year but the number of those applications being approved fall short by four or five thousand every year.
The extra five thousand visas being made available for the Irish will be from the remaining Australian visas. The bill is not expecting to face criticism and opposition, but it will still need unanimous support from the Senate to pass.
The deal has been in the pipeline since 2012, but seems to be making real progress in recent weeks after the Government’s special envoy to the US, John Deasy travelled to meet with US representatives.
Once Congress reconvenes following mid-term elections, a vote could be held on the Bill as early as next week.
However, for the Bill to pass it also needs unanimous support from the Senate as well.
As part of the deal, Ireland would also agree to ease restrictions on US citizens wishing to retire in Ireland, allowing them to work up to 20 hours per week and lowering the financial requirements to make the move.
The United States J-1 visa is intended for applicants who are interested in visiting the U.S with the intention of seeing the country to learn about the culture and lifestyle, with the ability to work and study whilst visiting.
It is a great opportunity to experience the United States and experience first hand,what it is like to live there under the many programs that run with the J-1 visa. Depending on the program you are visiting, the stay can vary from 4 months to 7 years.
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