Irish students who have received their J1 visas this summer should face minimal impact from the pause in scheduling new visa interviews initiated by the Trump administration.
Approximately 5,000 Irish students utilise the J1 programme each summer, with few currently beginning their visa applications.
Mr Doorley shared that students currently in the US have not reported any issues with their travels, and most have completed their application process.
The Department of Foreign Affairs recently updated travel advice, warning of “serious consequences” for those not cooperating with border officials.
Mr Doorley noted the importance of J1 students for the tourism industry and shared that representatives from New England stress their value.
The Trump administration has ordered US embassies around the world to pause scheduling new visa interviews for foreign students. It’s understood that US embassies, including Ireland, received a cable from the US State Department, instructing them to halt student or exchange visitor visa
Michael Doorley shared: appointments such as the Fm (full time student) and J1 (summer student) visa programmes until further guidance is issued.
“Practically all the students who intend to travel to America are through, and very few are lined up to start their process. So it won’t really affect very much of the Irish students this year.. Failure to adhere to immigration law could lead to refusal of entry at the border, detention and possible removal from the US.. So it won’t really affect very much of the Irish students this year. I talked to students who are in America. Quite a few are there already. Thaay are having no problems whatsoever. Everything is easy for them. There’s no implications, that’s pretty clear and so on and so on. So it’s all working seamlessly at the moment.
There is a thing about the J1. It is a reciprocal programme. So if will that have any effect on students coming into Ireland? I don’t know about the other two, but certainly work and travel is a reciprocal program. So at the moment for Irish students from checking with everybody, it’s going to affect very few Irish students who want to go to America this year.
What we say before they got their final pack and we touch with them every day, the students who are already out there. It is just advising them, these are the instructions we’re giving to you. They’re the same instructions as the Department of Foreign Affairs. So it’s really just be careful with your phone and your social media.
If they have history on their mobile phones of some maybe social activity, that wouldn’t please the American situation. Just delete or whatever and don’t start using your phone while you’re in America on social media activity that wouldn’t comply with American policy worldwide at the minute. Just stay away from any activity on social media related to that and even broader than that. Just while you’re in America, use your social media to enjoy your stay in the States. Just be more careful than you might normally have been.
We always tell them obviously about drinking and underage drinking and behaviour on the streets. We give that normal advice to them. This si the first time we have given advice on social media, or on careful use of your mobile phone.
The J1 applications are exactly the same numbers as last year. Even when we closed our programme and also the others, we had wait lists for it. I had a meeting yesterday with six representatives from the States in New England. They were over from the US encouraging people to travel to America for holidays and travel. We asked them about the j1, how important is it to them? They all said it’s crucial for the tourists in the city. They were just relating to the New England States. But they said the J1 work and travel is crucial for the summer. They need the J1 students coming in to work in the leisure industry primarily.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared: “the reason for this pause is to give the department time to carry out a review and issue updated guidance on social media vetting of student and exchange visitor applications. The department said it’s going to look at existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor applications and then based on that review, the State Department plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting for all such applicants. This will require consular sections to modify their operations, their processes and allocation of resources according to the cable. It doesn’t directly spell out what the future social media vetting would screen for but it does allude to executive orders that are aimed at keeping out terrorists and battling anti-semitism. So if you do have a scheduled appointment, you won’t be affected by this pause but if you are planning to apply today or in the coming days, there will probably be some delays to your visa application process. It may be a slower process but you’re going to have probably hundreds of Irish students affected by this and teachers and researchers especially those who might be applying for the new academic year in September.”
