Immigration News

Media Note
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
September 24, 2008

Twelve-Month Intern Work and Travel Pilot Program

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
John D. Negroponte and Ireland Foreign Minister Micheal Martin signed a Memorandum
of Understanding on an Intern Work and Travel Pilot Program on September 24
in Washington, D.C.
The United States and Ireland soon will begin to implement a Twelve-Month Intern
Work and Travel Pilot Program for post-secondary students or young people within
twelve months of graduation. The new program is an innovative exchange program
that will allow thousands of young people from Ireland to enter the United
States for a period of twelve months on a J-1 exchange visitor visa. There
also will be reciprocal opportunities for young people from the United States
to travel to Ireland. This will allow students from both countries to participate
in a variety of internships, and to travel independently within the United
States and Ireland.

The program will be coordinated by the
private sector under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State's
Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, and falls under the Intern
Category of the Exchange Visitor Program. This program is set to be
launched in late 2008 or early 2009. Further details and prerequisites
on the program will be available from the U.S. Embassy in Dublin and
Ireland's Embassy in Washington, DC.

The people of the United States and
Ireland have deep and abiding traditional and historical links. Today's
signing is designed to cultivate further mutual understanding between
the people of the United States and Ireland, and to strengthen the
connections between young people from our two countries. By enacting
this agreement, the United States government hopes to broaden the
international internship and travel experience for those who may not
otherwise have an opportunity to do so.

Authority for the Exchange Visitor
Program derives from the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act
of 1961, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The Act's intent is to
increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States
and other countries through educational and cultural exchanges.

2008/772
Released on September 24, 2008

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2008/sept/110210.htm

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

Passports Will Be Required for Land and Sea Entry to the United States Beginning
June 1, 2009

Beginning
June 1, 2009, citizens of the United States, Canada and Bermuda will
soon be required to present a passport or an acceptable alternative
document when entering the United States by land or sea from Canada,
Mexico, the Caribbean region or Bermuda. The new requirements were put
in place by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a border
security program.

U.S., Canadian and Bermudian citizens will be required
to present one of the following when entering the United States by land or
sea on or after June 1:

• A valid passport
• A valid U.S. passport card
(U.S. citizens only).
• A Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler program card, such as
a NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST program card.
• An enhanced driver's licensed (EDL).
EDLs are driver's licenses that require applicants to provide proof of their
citizenship or immigration status. Currently, EDLs are issued by some U.S.
states and Canadian provinces.
• A U.S. military identification card, with proof of military travel orders.
• A U.S. Merchant Marine Document.
• An enhanced tribal identification card,
issued by some Native American tribes.

Children
under the age of 16 will be able to enter with proof of citizenship, such as
a birth certificate, naturalization certificate or citizenship card.

Until
June 1, U.S., Canadian and Bermudian citizens will be able to enter the United
States by land or sea by presenting a document proving citizenship–such as
a birth certificate or citizenship certificate–together with government-issued
photo identification, though travelers age 18 and under may enter with proof
of citizenship alone. Note that citizens of these countries who are traveling
by air must present a passport when entering the United States; this requirement
has been in place under the WHTI since January 23, 2007.

U.S. lawful permanent residents are not affected
by the WHTI passport requirements. These individuals may continue to present
their Form I-551 permanent resident cards when entering the United States by
air, land or sea

Release Date: January 12, 2009

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

The U.S. Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) today reminded travelers from all Visa Waiver Program
(VWP) countries that they are now required to obtain approval through
the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to
traveling to the United States. This requirement, effective today,
applies to all eligible citizens or nationals traveling under the VWP.

"We have been collecting information from
visa waiver travelers for decades, and establishing a program to get
that same information in advance is one enhancement that allowed us to
extend the valuable benefit of visa-free travel to eight new countries
in 2008," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. "In
addition to building business and cultural ties with our partners
overseas, this is a commonsense step into the 21st century that will
improve our efficiency in screening and welcoming international
travelers at our ports of entry."

ESTA is a web-based system, initially
launched in August 2008, that determines the preliminary eligibility of
visitors to travel under the VWP prior to boarding a carrier to the
United States. To date, more than 1.2 million ESTA applications have
been received, and more than 99.6 percent of applicants have been
approved, most within seconds.

DHS will take a reasonable approach to travelers who have
not obtained an approved travel authorization via ESTA, and will continue
an aggressive advertising and outreach campaign throughout 2009. Travelers
without an approved ESTA are advised, however, that they may be denied boarding,
experience delayed processing, or be denied admission at a U.S. port of entry.
Visitors may apply for travel authorization via the ESTA Web site at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov .

DHS received authorization for VWP reforms through the
Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. The VWP
is administered by the department and enables eligible citizens or nationals
of certain countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business
for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. To be admitted to
the VWP, a country must meet various statutory requirements, such as more
enhanced law enforcement and security-related data sharing with the U.S.
and timely reporting of both blank and issued lost and stolen passports.  VWP
members are also required to maintain high counter-terrorism, law enforcement,
border control, and document security standards.

The citizens or nationals of the
following countries are currently eligible to travel to the United
States under the VWP: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, the
Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary,
Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Latvia,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands,
New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Eight of
these countries joined the VWP in 2008, and their citizens and
nationals have been required to comply with an ESTA since their
designation as VWP participants: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary,
the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Malta.

For additional information on ESTA, visit www.cbp.gov/esta, and for more information on the VWP, please visit http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/business_pleasure/vwp/.