U.S. VISA BOOST21

Bill could offer Irish citizens chance to live and work freely with their families

IRISH citizens could be given access to thousands of US visas under a new law passed by legislators.

The House of Representatives approved a Bill on Wednesday night allowing applications for the E-3 visa, previously only available to Australians.

The proposal will now move to the Senate, where a vote will be held in the coming weeks to determine whether it will be signed into law.

E-3 visa holders are able to live and work freely in the States without restrictions and it can be renewed indefinitely every two years.

Successful applicants may be joined by their spouse and any children under the age of 21. They can be granted derivative status, allowing them to also live and work in the country.

Fine Gael’s US envoy John Deasy was a driving force behind the proposal.

But he warned: “The Bill will now be sent to the US Senate and it needs to be passed there by unanimous consent, meaning it will require the agreement of all 100 senators for this to be signed into law.” Some 10,500 E-3 visas are offered to Australians every year but only half are taken up. This suggests up to

5,000 documents could be made available to Irish citizens if the Bill passes.

To qualify, applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree plus a job already lined up in the US. Irish-american senator

Billy Lawless which jobs qualify, although guidelines state applicants must hold at least a bachelor’s degree or 12 years of work experience in a field that requires “theoretical and practical application of a body of specialised knowledge”. Billy Lawless yesterday welcomed the news. He said: “Ireland and the United States share a deep bond built on strong cultural, economic and social ties.

“This Bill will provide Irish citizens the opportunity to gain valuable work experience. It will reinvigorate Irishamerican communities and bring our countries, our companies and our people even closer together.

“In light of Brexit this would be a win-win for both of our great nations, given Ireland will be the primary English-speaking country remaining in the EU.”

visa must already have a job offer from an employer in the country.

Then, suitable applicants are invited to interview with a consular officer. It is not yet known if the process would be the same for Irish citizens. people if the Bill is signed into law.

The current fee for Australian applicants stands at $205, equivalent to €180.