Thread: US to issue 20,000 one-year work visas

US to issue 20,000 one-year work visas

Friday, September 19, 2008



TWENTY THOUSAND one-year working visas to the United States are to be made available under a deal to be agreed in a final round of talks in Washington today, it emerged last night.

Under the new agreement, the J visas will be available not just to students as the existing three-month J1 visas, but to anyone with a secondary-school education, or a trade.

The package has been worked on for several months by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Irish Embassy in Washington, led by Ambassador Michael Collins, and the US state department.

Speaking in New York in July, Taoiseach Brian Cowen made it clear that action on visas and immigration to the United States would be a priority during his time in office.

The visa deal to be agreed today with the state department will come into force in the New Year, sources said last night. So far, it is not yet clear what the top qualifying age for applications will be.

Relations between the Irish-American community and the Government, which were near- poisonous in the final months before Bertie Ahern departed from office, have improved significantly in recent times.

Mr Ahern had argued that the demand by Irish-American groups for an amnesty for Irish illegals was unrealistic, while they, in turn, said Ireland was failing to put any pressure on the US authorities.

Meanwhile, Irish-American immigration groups have urged people to be careful when they apply for another visa scheme that offers 50,000 Green Cards.

Applications for the places in the Diversity Visa Lottery will open between October 2nd and December 1st this year, and applications can be downloaded from www.dvlottery.state.gov.

However, the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centres, in a statement released yesterday, warned potential applicants not to deal with unverified online operators, who are illegally charging fees for the work, and then not doing it.

"Irish citizens who are interested in working in the USA in the next couple of years should apply for the lottery as it will give them an opportunity to apply for a "green card" (legal permanent residency).

"Winners should consult the Irish centres once they have been notified to ensure that they are eligible and that the application is completed correctly. Instructions and additional information will be available at the department of state site during the application period. This is the only official site, many on-line scammers will offer to take your money and not even request your digital photo," said the combined lobby group.

Last year, only 132 Irish applicants were chosen under the DV Lottery, but demand is likely to be higher this year.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times



http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/fro ... 88183.html

What the hey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We don't need any more work visas. At a time when AMERICANS are looking for work, why do we need people from Ireland coming over here taking our jobs. It's bad enough illegals are taking our jobs, but ANOTHER visa, pleazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Excuse me but who legislated this ????

These agencies do not have the Constitutional authority to create visas!

W

The package has been worked on for several months by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Irish Embassy in Washington, led by Ambassador Michael Collins, and the US state department.

What talks? Is this program open to only the Irish? And why on earth are we opening up 20,000 more visas during a time when unemplyment is so high? WHAT ABOUT LOOKING AFTER THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 1ST?!

ALIPAC wrote:

These agencies do not have the Constitutional authority to create visas!

Under this current administration, consitutionality has nothng to do with what they are doing. Apparently the majority of the White House budget is used on lawyers and pundits that can figure out a way to get around the Constitution. I get the feeling that the American people should be sacrificed to the vision of the new world order. We should just be quiet and pay our taxes.[/quote]

I am now rejecting this as a valid government... If they cannot follow the constitution they are not worthy to be my government

My greatest concern is not the one year visas but getting these people out of here when their time is up.

Now, I can honestly understand why some American citizens refuse to pay taxes in this country! I don't agree with it ( if one has to pay we should all have to pay), but I understand it....

I don't see anything that refers to legislation in this article??? Doesn't Congress (for the little they are worth) have to pass something??
And, I agree with Reggie, if this has passed how do we get them out????
Damns, there are over 8 million Americans that are currently unemployed, and with the Wall Street mess, that number has to grow substantially.
America is in peril, and growth in unemployment sends us teetering closer to another depression. I find what is happening very scarey.

Maybe the Congress needs some calls about this.

They are going to recess again Sept 26. Do they do ANYTHING BACK THERE?