Apply for one-year US working visas, urges Martin

A US-IRISH structure to enable school leavers to work and travel in the US for up to 12 months is up and running, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin.

Eligible Irish and Americans can now apply for one-year working visas under the new Ireland-US working holiday agreement, Mr Martin said yesterday.

Under the terms of the agreement, a minimum of 20,000 people who are in, or have recently finished, their post-secondary education will be entitled to live and work in the US for up to a year.

On the flip side, up to 5,000 US citizens will be able to work and travel in Ireland for up to 12 months.

“Last September, the US deputy secretary of state and I successfully concluded a new working holiday agreement. We have moved without delay to complete the necessary internal procedures and guidelines and I am delighted to confirm that Irish and US citizens can now begin to submit their applications,” said Mr Martin.

He emphasised the considerable benefits the programme would bring to the long-term health of our relationship with the US.

He said: “By working and travelling for a relatively lengthy period in each other’s countries, our young people will build important connections that will help maintain our very close ties to the US. This agreement represents, in a very real way, a major investment in the health and strength of this vital relationship.”

A similar arrangement has been made with Australia, in which 17,000 Irish people participated last year.

Mr Martin stressed: “This programme is just one element in our three-pronged approach to reforming our migration arrangements with the US.

“The Government is determined to push for early progress on the remaining two — a solution for the undocumented Irish (in the US) and a new bilateral arrangement that would create reciprocal long-term working visas.”