New US Work and Travel Agreement

Recently the Irish Government signed an agreement with the United States that will enable at least 20,000 Irish citizens annually to work and travel in the US for up to 12 months. This agreement represents the first success in our efforts to secure a new comprehensive legal framework for our citizens who wish to live and work in the US. It contains the following key elements:

1. The US Government will make available at least 20,000 visas for Irish citizens, which will permit them to work and travel in the US for a period of 12 months.
   
2. The Irish Government will reciprocate and allow up to 5,000 US citizens to work in Ireland for a period of 12 months.
   
3. Both US and Irish citizens will be free to secure employment on arrival in each country.
   
4. In order to qualify for the programme, participants should be either in post-secondary education or have recently graduated.
5. This new programme will not effect the operation of the highly successful Student Work and Travel programme which permits students from the US and Ireland to work and travel for several months every summer. This J1 programme will continue to exist as a separate, more limited programme.
   

It is envisaged that the new scheme will become operational in late 2008. US citizens, who wish to travel to Ireland, will apply at our Embassy and Consulates in the United States, and Irish citizens wishing to travel to the US will apply through the US Embassy in Dublin. More information is available on www.dfa.ie