Eligibility
To participate on the 12 month Work USA Visa, you must meet the following requirements:
- 18 years or over and the holder of an Irish Passport (upper age limit is 40)
- Full and Part-time students - studying towards/have received a major level 6 Award - Higher/Advanced certificate - or higher on the National Framework of Qualifications Ireland (www.nfq.ie) on average 2 years duration
- Be attending/have attend (within the past 12 months) a third level college within the 32 counties of Ireland (including Northern Ireland)
- Recent graduates - must enter the US within 12 months of
official graduation date.
If you are not a recent graduate please check out our Professional Career Training visa - Not work in an unskilled occupation or prohibited J-1 job as defined by the US State Department
Please note that a list of unskilled occupations and job prohibited to J-1 holders is available in our Job Hunting Tips Section of this website.
Previous J-1 Visa Holders
If you have previously participated in the US J-1 Summer Work and Travel Programme (WAT), you can apply for the Intern Work & Travel Programme provided you fulfill the requirements listed above. You must have spent at least 90 days out of the US since completion of the US Work and Travel Programme before you can begin your traineeship in the US. You can begin your application process before the 90 days is up, but you will not be allowed to start the programme until this time period has passed.
Previous participants on the Internship USA programme can participate on this programme for the full 12 months provided they meet all eligibility requirements. Your 12 month Work USA Visa training plan should show a clear progression on the previous training plan and you must have been outside the US for 90days minimum between Internship visas.
Your visa is issued at the discretion of the US Embassy/Consulate and USIT cannot accept liability should you not be granted a visa. If you are refused a visa, please be aware that full cancellation fees will apply.
Flights
Flights must be booked with USIT as part of your programme. They are not included in the programme fee but must be booked and paid for in full before your embassy interview in order to receive your DS-2019 (please note you cannot sit your interview without this document, so book your flights sooner rather than later!).
Bear in mind USIT cannot guarantee your application will be approved by CIEE (the partner organization in the US that issues your documents) or by the US embassy when you sit your interview. USIT will book you the most flexible flight available to avoid any disappointment should you need a flight change.
Please note, if you wish to have your job approved before traveling to America, we offer a second Internship visa that may be more suited to you.
Please visit our Internship USA website for more information.