Irish J-1 Students Looking to get Summer work and Housing in Denver Area

Traditionally going on a J-1 Summer Work and Travel visa programme to the US is a rite of passage for thousands of Irish College students. Heretofore students could arrive in the US without a pre placed job and seek out employment and accommodation on arrival. From 2016 this will change to bring Ireland in line with all other countries and all students will have to have a job before being issued with a visa.

SAYIT Travel, of Shandon Travel Group in Cork, Ireland are one of the two Irish companies to offer the above programme to college students and have been doing so for 20 yrs. According to Managing Director Michael Doorley, SAYIT and their sponsor InterExchange have been working hard to source suitable employers and have an offer of 40 jobs in Denver to date. Doorley said that Denver has not been a traditional destination for Irish J-1 ers to travel to and is reaching out to the Irish communities to seek help in sourcing more suitable jobs and housing.
Interested Employers can offer jobs to one or multiple students. Irish Students in the J-1Visa Programme are around 20 to 24 years of age and are looking for summer work generally from end of May to beginning or late September. Prospective employers should contact InterExchange at [email protected]

Organizers for the J-1 Visa program are now under pressure to locate jobs in advance for students to accommodate the new J-1 Visa rules. “ We need to source a total of 3,000 jobs to match our visa allocation, said Doorley, “The big fear here, because of the fundamental change to the programme, [and we have had meetings, at their request, with the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin and Anne Anderson, the Irish ambassador in Washington,] is that students will take the risk of travelling on a tourist visa facility and work illegally in the States for the summer by seeking “walk in jobs “, with potentially horrendous problems.”

Doorley says that there are many positives to the new procedures for the student s whom are offered jobs in advance of arrival to the States. They will be secure in a job and have income straight away
The pressure is off in the student. Preplacement opens up new non-traditional destinations (i.e. Denver) for J-1 ers as the fear of no jobs available in new destinations does not arise. Students will be encouraged to research on the particular destination for social activities, accommodation and travel before they leave. “We need to convince students that Denver is a good place to experience in 2016…It should be borne in mind that the essence of the programme is for students to have a USA cultural experience.”

Prospective employers and host families should contact InterExchange at [email protected]