Editorial Walsh Visa hiccups

There are many young Irish working in this country under the cloud of illegality. They came to the U.S. with different dreams and ambitions. But to a person, each shares a common understanding: to succeed, one must apply one’s talent and energy to the job, whatever form it takes.

Any one of these young Irish would probably give up a fair chunk of pay for the ease and comfort of knowing that the shadow around the corner is not that of an INS agent. It is in this context that we note with disappointment that a small group of people who secured Walsh Visas apparently did so for a lark and have not met their employment obligations.

U.S. immigration laws have not been friendly toward the Irish in recent years, particularly since the so-called reforms of 1996. There are those in Congress who would make the laws harsher still. Accepting a Walsh Visa and then going walkabout, as this small group has done, only worsens the situation for those who really do want to live and work here in the hope that, someday, they can do so without fear and anxiety.

Thankfully, the number of visa holders who reneged on the provisions of the visa program at the outset of their three-year stay in the U.S. numbered only six of 77 initial arrivals. A few others have decided that the U.S. is not to their liking and have returned home. But that’s a different matter.

Homesickness or other personal reasons apart, those who have been lucky enough to secure a visa are now presented with a rare chance. It could be the making of many, if not all, of them. The fact that a few chose to snub America’s generosity does not reflect on the vast majority of the 12,000 Irish expected to cross the Atlantic in the next few years under the Walsh plan.

Still, it must be stressed to each of them that with the opportunity comes a responsibility. True, perhaps not all the jobs are especially challenging. And the pay is hardly stellar. But for many visa winners, a job in America will be their first job anywhere. Better starting small than not starting at all.