The 12-month J1 visa programme has been extended for another three years after an agreement yesterday between the Irish government and the US. The future of the more popular four-month programme, however, still remains in doubt.
The visa, which was used by 1,319 people in 2015, was originally agreed in 2008 and has been renewed every two years since then. A memorandum of understanding was signed yesterday by Ireland’s Ambassador to the US, Anne Anderson, and US Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Evan Ryan.
The latest agreement to extend the J1 visa programme for another three years follows criticism of the programme by President-elect, Donald Trump.
In August 2015, while still a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, Trump said he would replace the popular programme for “foreign youths” with a “resume bank for inner-city youth provided to all corporate subscribers to the J1 Visa programme”. This pledge, however, has since disappeared from the Trump campaign website.
These comments have raised concerns about the future of the programme, which is used by thousands of Irish students every year to travel to the US. The agreement today, however, fails to guarantee the future of the four-month visa programme most common among students and which saw 7,000 people take part in 2015.
Yesterday, following the renewal of the 12-month visa, Anderson and other Irish Embassy officials met with officials from the State Department about the four-month J1 visa, according to RTÉ.
According to RTÉ, the agreement could still be changed by Trump, or removed altogether, once he takes office in January, through the use of executive orders.
Responding to a question from The University Times at an event held by Trinity’s Society for International Affairs (Sofia) recently, Honourable Kevin O’Malley, Ambassador of the United States of America to Ireland, expressed confidence that the J1 programme would not be removed under Trump, despite his campaign promises: “I think that when that programme is analysed and when the incoming administration sees the benefits that accrue from it, I wouldn’t be surprised if that [position] just changes.”
Last year, changes to the J1 Visa programme meant that those travelling to the US this summer had to secure employment before travelling. It is unlikely that, even if the new US President does introduce changes to the system, they will come into effect before summer 2017.
