EIIC

MARK HENNESSY, Political Correspondent
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2008/0919/1221773888183.html

Fri, Sep 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

Travelers from Ireland and about two dozen other "Visa
Waiver" countries will be required to register electronically before boarding
a plane or boat to the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
announced recently.

DHS will begin accepting applications via a secure
Internet site on August 1, and will require visitors to use the Internet system
beginning January 12, 2009, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said.
The move will help U.S. authorities vet foreign visitors, he said.

The requirement
does not apply to U.S. citizens traveling overseas.

The announcement is the
latest change to the Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens of 27 countries
— most of them European countries that are strong U.S. allies — to travel
to the U.S. without a visa. Currently, citizens from VWP countries complete
a written green form (I-94W) providing basic biographical, travel and eligibility
information while en route to the U.S. and submit the forms to border officials
on arrival.

Under the new program, known as Electronic System
for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, travelers will complete an electronic version
of the form before traveling. DHS recommends that travelers fill out the form
not less than three days (72 hours) before traveling, and authorizations will
be valid for up to two years or until the applicant's passport expires, whichever
comes first.

Initially, there will be no fee to apply for travel
authorization, although one may be imposed later. Visitors will still be required
to have valid passports, but after January 12, travelers with valid ESTA clearance
will not be required to complete the written form.

Chertoff said the system
will make it easier for U.S. officials to check travelers against terror watch
lists, and will help travelers by allowing them to deal with possible problems
before they get to U.S. borders.

Chertoff said ESTA is "a 21st century
solution" to
the problem of keeping terrorists out of the United States.

Click
for More Information . . .

DV Lottery Application Period Now Over

The entry registration period for DV-2010 green card lottery ended on December 1, 2008. DV-2010 lottery applicants will be selected and notified by mail between May and July 2009 and will be provided further instructions, including information on fees connected with immigration to the U.S. Those selected in the random drawing are NOT notified by email. Those individuals NOT selected will NOT receive any notification. Starting July 1, 2009, applicants will be able to check the status of their entry by returning to the website and entering their unique confirmation number and personal information from their online application receipt.

For more information, go to www.dvlottery.state.gov