24/09/2008

Leaving Cert To US With New Visa

School leavers will be able to avail of 20,000 visas to live and work in the US for a year under a new visa deal expected to be signed on Tuesday.

The Foreign Affairs Minister, Micheal Martin, is presently on a week-long visit to the US, and is expected to sign the agreement with US deputy secretary of state John Negroponte in Washington.

The new 'J Visa' will also allow up to 5,000 US citizens to work and live in Ireland for 12 months.

The existing summer J1 Visa scheme for third level students in the US will continue to exist as a separate programme.

Mr Martin said: "This agreement will enable a minimum of 20,000 Irish citizens who are in, or have recently completed, post secondary education to work and travel in the US for up to 12 months.

"This represents one of the most significant developments in our visa arrangements with the US in almost two decades."

Fine Gael's Foreign Affairs Spokesman, Billy Timmins, welcomed the new visa deal saying it should lead to a sharing of knowledge and information. However, Mr Timmins added that the deal must not deflect from the plight of the undocumented Irish in America.

"This deal will permit about 20,000 Irish school-leavers to work in the US for a year and will also allow 5,000 US citizens to move to Ireland for 12 months," he said.

"This can only benefit all countries as it will inevitably lead to a sharing of experience, knowledge and information. However, the fight for undocumented Irish continues and the Government must not be deflected from this as has happened in the past."

(DW/JM)

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