The J1 Grad Visa Has Been Extended For Another Three Years

An agreement has been signed by both Ireland and the United States extending the 12-month J1 visa for another three years.

The visa was originally agreed in 2008, and has been renewed on a two-year basis ever since, however, today it was renewed for a further three years.

The agreement signed today refers only to the 12-month graduate J1 visa and not the four-month programme, usually enjoyed by Irish students working in the US over the summer.

Ireland and the United States have just signed an agreement extending the 12-month J1 visa for another three years
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 5, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump arose concerns about the future of the J1 programme with his previous remarks about planning to end the scheme. However, those plans seem to be just scaremongering tactics.

Changes were made to the grad programme back in 2016, requiring students to have secured a job before travelling to the states.