Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Fall 2008 Update - "J" Visas and DV Lottery

J Visa Program: The Irish Government has signed a new deal with the U.S. Government providing for 20,000 12-month working-holiday visas for Irish people in the U.S. In addition, the new visas give 5,000 Americans the ability to live and work in Ireland for a maximum of 12 months. For more information, please visit the DFA website. The new visas do not apply to the undocumented Irish in America. ILIR chairman Niall O'Dowd has welcomed the arrangement as "it points the way forward to deal with the other major issues."

DV Lottery: The DV program starts tomorrow. Only 132 Irish applicants were chosen last year, but this is one of the few mechanisms for Irish people to apply for a green card. The program is free (if a website asks you for money it is not the official website.) Intending applicants should submit their personal information only on the official website www.dvlottery.state.gov which will be live from noon on October 2 to noon on December 1, 2008.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Its good news that the irish gov are making progress with the american gov, however, this new visa deal does absolutely nothing to help the irish already here. Its a bit senseless to send over another 20,000 for a year (some of whom will stay illegally after that) without resolving the issues that already face the people already here. Would it not have been more important to fix the suitutaion here before bringing more people into the problem in a year.......I know that Brian Cowen has done so much this past 6 months as opposed to his predecessor. That said, Mr. Cowen needs to help those of us here, and quick because he is going to face an even bigger problem in year when there is 70,000 instead of 50,000.

Anonymous said...

Can I apply for the DV Lottery if I am here already ( and have been for years ) ?

Anonymous said...

The only reason anything has happend is the trips to washington by Irish lobby dont thank Irish goverment they let you down badley

Anonymous said...

Yep once again we have been sold out by our own goverment. Its good to know that all those trips i/we made down to DC and all the fundraisers I attended over the last two years are helping people who need it the least. But sure no worries aslong as the NYC GAA has enough players to put out a couple football teams everything great..

Anonymous said...

The Tánaiste Mary Coughlan will be in Boston at the start of November. If you have any questions that you would like to ask her, post them here and I will see if I can get them to her.

Anonymous said...

The Irish goverment hopes the new president will fix the problem. With jobs going every day in Ireland ,now the spotlight is turning on imigrants here.The goverment is ashamed of the Irish Ilegals in America .It has never got a visa for them befor and wount now yous on your own you have to help yourselfs

Anonymous said...

Yeah ask the tanaiste is it fair that the irish people that left Ireland 10, 15 & 20 years oga. missed out in the celtic tiger are now missing out in 20,000 visa's.

We marched in washington, ( 11 hours bus ride) gave alot of money to the ilir. Then the ilir done great work, handed this great work over to the irish gov, for the undocumented to get visa's.
but with the bad economy the irish gov, took the visa's and gave them to 20,000 celtic tiger babies. ASK HER THE TANAISTE IS THIS FAIR ??????????.

Anonymous said...

I think its time the ILIR are straight with us and tell the truth in our chances in getting legal.

Id have no problem if they said its not likey in the next 2-3 years instead of them stringing us along like ejits. At least then we can make a decision on our own futures. I feel like a mug having made all those trips to Washington only for people back home to benefit..

Anonymous said...

Thanks for suggesting questions for the Tánaiste, see my question below:
Why did the Irish Government give $700,000 to the Irish cultural center in Canton MA and 2 million for the JFK library in Boston AND ONLY allocated $50,000 for the ILIR?

The ILIR and the Irish Pastoral Center are the only groups that are representing and trying to help us.

Anonymous said...

What is the Irish Goverment doing about the Irish that are detained in American jails on immigration vialitons? Why are they being kept in jail for weeks on end? Why can they not be deported with in one week?

Anonymous said...

Why are they being kept in jail for weeks on end? Why can they not be deported with in one week?

Just say five simple words: "I will leave the country". The only illegal immigrants being detained are those who choose to fight their deportations, or they are 'flight risks'.

Anonymous said...

Its a sad sad day when our own government wont even put up a fight for their own people. The person that negotiated this deal for the Irish people should be ashamed of themselves.

Anonymous said...

Which of the political parties in Ireland support the ILIR?

The way I see things there will be potentialy 50,000 votes up for grabs in Ireland if this mess gets sorted out, add in peoples familes and you could easily be talking around 100,000 votes for some party. Its time for a change people!!!

Anonymous said...

They can't be deported in one week it is meant to be 45 day's in jail (G.P.)
It's Very though on someone with a wife and child left behind to pay the bill's.
One irish guy that lived in new york for 20 yrs got lost in the system and was there for 21 week's.

If your caught your locked up for 45 day's like it or not that's the way it is sorry.
Would'nt it be great just to say i will leave the counrty.

Anonymous said...

Sorry Chuck, but you really should check the facts, it is not that simple.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, anonymous, the only aliens who are held in detention are those who chose to fight their deportation. Nothing less makes any sense.

Anonymous said...

Sorry agian chuck but fact's do not lie. We know of irish detainees that are still in prison, We in the irish community have raised funds for their ticket back to Ireland. But they will not be released until they serve aleast 6 weeks. It is just a waste of tax payers money to keep people in jail that want to go back to Ireland.
Thank you for your support in this matter.

Anonymous said...

Im very upset with the irish government for giving away the visa's that were supposed to be for the undocument over in the usa.

This will not sit well when the celtic babies land over here and start laughing in the face's of the undocumented.

The irish gov is to blame for this poor leadership.

Anonymous said...

Chuck it's true when your caught there is no figthing deportation.
You sit in jail for about 45 day's just waiting to be sent home.
Chuck the immigratation law's are broken.
That's why we need help.
It all make no sense.

Anonymous said...

If you want to fight your deportation, you get a lawyer. The law is not to be broken, not by Paddy, not by anybody. That's why Paddy's in such a sad sorry situation

Anonymous said...

Guess that's why you want to execute them, right chuck?

Anonymous said...

Chuck , what has any of us done to you ?

Anonymous said...

Look, you play with fire - you get burned. So don't play with fire. My desire is to exorcise the Irish of their evil spirits.

Anonymous said...

Who is this Paddy, Chuck is talking about?

Lou Ferpo

Anonymous said...

Chuck or fight is not with you.
We are trying to become legal in the USA.
Chuck i was legal for 3 years but week's from getting my green card the US gov' done away with that visa. Didnt say why and they didnt care. Took my money then changed the law's.
I asked my laywer can they do this ? He said they can as they are the government. (But he also said that it was wrong) Because the first stage of the visa was to send a check for $1,500 to the gov and that was asking them can you go for this visa.
They said yes, took the money and 3 years later done away with that visa.
CHUCK DO YOU THINK THIS IS FAIR ?????????????????

Anonymous said...

Chuck I think you have said enough. If you want to post on this web page make it something of substance, not insults to Irish people. First by threatening their lives (as you posted previously) and now by calling them a silly nick name. When you speak of other nationalities do you use such demeaning language?
This web page is based on common sense dialogue. I think you should be blocked before you insult more people.