There is another, related rite of passage being played out during the hot summer days and nights at the shore. More likely than not, Americans will encounter a staggering number of European students visiting for the summer on J1 visas. The 2004 season will see no fewer than 4,500 J1 recipients from Ireland alone.
They work in food service, amusement parks, resorts, and offices, primarily along the nation’s east and west coasts. The idea is to make money, travel the U.S., and basically enjoy themselves during their stay, which usually lasts 4-6 months.
Though extremely popular with Irish students, especially with those from outside of the Dublin area, the J1 visa is not easily obtained. This last year ushered in several changes to the application process that may have contributed to a decline in applications, and, consequently, the number of recipients.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, the “J” visa program is “designed to promote the interchange of persons, knowledge, and skills.” Applicants must be third-level students and fill out a slew of forms to begin the process.
This is where agencies come in. USIT, established in 1959, being the largest of these travel agencies that act as sponsors for the applicants, help them along the process. Once students have arrived in the U.S., the agencies act as a touchstone and offer a uniquely Irish orientation to American workplaces, customs, and any advice they can offer. Since the Summer Work & Travel program was instituted in 1996, USIT estimates that more than 250,000 Irish students have participated.
USIT offers a look at the average J1er experience on its Web site: in 2003, the average J1er was almost 21, 55 percent were female, and held an average of two jobs over the course of their stay, more than a third of these in the food industry. Most imperative to any J1er would be housing and work and, according to last year’s figures, it took no more than two weeks on average to find both.
As popular as the program has been, numbers are down this year. Emma Madigan, vice consul with the Irish Consulate in New York, estimates that among the three largest agencies, only 4,850 Irish received the J1 visa this year, which she said is fewer than previous years.
USIT alone saw 2,734 students receive J1 visas, down from the 5,796 issued to their participants last year.
“There are a number of factors [for the decline],” Madigan said, “one being the strength of the euro.”
At a time when the U.S. dollar is trading