Summer here! US seeks to charm students for working break

The US is on a charm offensive. If you are an Irish third-level student, the Americans would love to have you over to stay for the summer. Grainne Fallerreports

Since 1966, and until about 10 years ago, getting a J1 visa to work for a summer in the US was practically a rite of passage for Irish students. You had to be registered in a full-time, third-level course that could potentially lead to a degree, and as long as you were over 18, you would probably qualify.

Then two things happened. The attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001, led to entry restrictions for everyone. From then J1 applicants had to go to the US Embassy in Dublin for an interview and to get their fingerprints taken. Applications began to fall. Added to that, Ireland had changed and the economic boom meant that students could now earn good money at home, while low-cost airlines catered for those who wanted to work abroad. Participation in the J1 work-travel programme was a fraction of what it had been.

"The low figure [of applicants for the J1 visa] was about 4,500 in 2004," says Danny Toma, consular chief in the US Embassy. Considering the embassy was receiving well over 10,000 applications at certain points, the fall-off had been significant and the Americans were concerned.

According to Toma, the J1 programme is essential to their public diplomacy effort. They wanted to ensure that people, whether or not they decided to go to America, were informed about the possibilities.

Toma explains: "We went out on the road and said: 'Listen, if you're not applying for a J1 because you think it's too hard or too complex, we've got news for you. It's not, and here's what the procedure is all about.'"

After this campaign in 2005, applications rose to 6,800. The figure isn't stable, however, and it dipped by about 1,000 last year.

In a further effort to combat the decline, this year the visa application restrictions have been broadened somewhat. Final-year students, even those who are not going on to further study, are eligible to participate this year. You do, however, need proof that you have something to come back to - a job offer is ideal. Toma and his colleagues are hopeful that this measure will encourage some people who enjoyed themselves last year to return.

Some of the J1 programme sponsors such as Usit, Sayit and Go4Less.ie are also trying to encourage students to spend a summer in the US and there are some good money-back deals operating at the moment. The sponsor companies have contact companies in the US that provide applicants with a certificate of eligibility that allows them to work.

The J1 application process is certainly not for the stony broke. There is a programme fee which pays for your Certificate of Eligibility and costs range between €239 and €329. The more expensive programme fees will include your first night's accommodation and an orientation on arrival. Programmes also include a certain level of support. Usit has a US-based helpline, for example, and Sayit has a 24-hour paging system in case of emergencies. Your J1 visa will cost about €85 and there is a Sevis fee of €35. (Sevis is a web-based tracking system that collects, maintains and manages information about foreign students and exchange visitors during their stay in the US).

Add insurance and a flight to Boston into the mix and students are looking at an initial spend of more than €1,000. Flights to the west coast are more expensive still. Another requirement is that you have at least $950 (€731) in funding to cover your initial expenses. If you have a job offer, this required funding is reduced to $475 (€365).

Insurance is absolutely essential and you will not get your visa without it. A handy option is that for an extra €50, students can get exam failure cover which means that if they have to repeat exams, they can fly back to the US afterwards and finish out their summer.

Both Usit and Sayit have had an increase in applications on last year. Students going to the US seem to be quite an adventurous sort. Sayit has found that its programme that includes a meet and greet - where students are met at the airport and brought to a hostel for their first night - has fallen in popularity, with more students opting for the independent package.

Meanwhile, Usit's research has found that while the traditional destinations of Boston and New York are still popular, increasing numbers of students are opting for more exotic locations such as Hawaii. Danny Toma agrees: "I spoke to one young lady, for instance, who had gone to Nashville to work with songwriters there in the country music business - she did that on her J1. We've talked to people who worked in places such as Montana, out on the plains . . . Different experiences that you wouldn't normally associate with say the normal bartending or waitressing."

The internet has made finding accommodation and jobs easier beforehand and just over half of the students who went out with Usit last year had jobs secured before leaving Ireland. About a third of students had accommodation sorted out before they arrived. Most of those who didn't had found accommodation within a week and 90 per cent of students had found somewhere to stay within a fortnight of arriving.

While the exchange rate isn't favourable for students seeking to make some real money, it is certainly possible to make the programme pay for itself. According to Usit, more than 40 per cent of students on the programme last year made up to $4,000 (€3,076) and students came home with an average of $375 (€288) in their pockets. Travel seems to be a big focus, however, and most students spent at least a fortnight travelling at the end of their programmes.

•For further information, see Usit's J1 website, www.j1online.ie ; Sayit's J1 website, www.j1.ie ; and www.go4less.ie/j1