New visa agreement for Irish citizens passes the first stage of the Congress

The US House of Representatives voted to extend the E3 visa regime to Irish citizens during a debate in Congress on Wednesday night.

Although the bill still requires Senate approval, its adoption by the House marks a major step forward in Ireland's efforts to obtain a new visa to allow Irish citizens who wish to live and work in the United States. -United.

Up to 5,000 visas per year could become available under this program, which is currently open only to Australian citizens.

Speaking in the House Wednesday night during the debate, Congressman Richard Neal, who co-sponsored the bill with Republican Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, described how more than a million people have left Ireland to settle in America after the famine. "America to its eternal credit, the land of the great, the house of the brave, welcomed them."

He added that the US relationship with Ireland remains "one of the best relationships we have with our allies in America's history."

Mr. Sensenbrenner said this proposal would be an important addition to the US immigration system, noting that it would also ease restrictions on Americans wishing to live in Ireland without raising the maximum number of people already extended in the United States. part of the E3 visa system.

"The United States was built on the hard work and perseverance of immigrants, many of whom came from Ireland," he said.

Obstacle of the Senate

While the bill needed only a two-thirds majority to be pbaded in the lower house, the Senate requires unanimous consent to move it forward – a major hurdle.

The E3 visa is a two-year renewable visa that allows Australian citizens and their spouses to live and work in the United States. Australia negotiated the visa program in 2005 under the US-Australia trade agreement.

United States Government Special Envoy John Deasy and the Irish Embbady in Washington hold talks with top officials of Capitol Hill and the Trump administration to expand access to the coveted visa system to the Irish.

Australia's concerns about the impact of the agreement on their own access to visas have threatened to sabotage them in recent weeks. However, it is understood that the Australian Embbady in Washington is now on board. Among the badurances they have received, it is stated that Irish citizens will only be able to apply for visas that have not been used in the first place by Australia.

Under the 2005 agreement between the United States and Australia, 10,000 E3 visas are made available to Australian nationals each year, but only half of them are used each year.

Among the main provisions of the E3 visa, it is stipulated that candidates must have quality work and possess certain academic or other qualifications. But E3 is much easier and less expensive to get than the traditional H1B visa for professionals. Unlike other visas, the two-year E3 visa can be renewed indefinitely and includes spouses.

Speaking Wednesday on Capitol Hill, Mr. Deasy said he welcomed the vote in the House, while stating that it now had to be approved by the Senate.

"This is an important step in the adoption of the House, but it is now before the US Senate, which will require unanimous consent, which will require the approval of all 100 senators to have bill to be pbaded. I have no illusions how difficult it can be.

But representatives of the Irish embbady in Washington were tight-lipped, pointing out that the bill still needed Senate approval.

Irish without papers

In the current state of affairs, the bill only concerns future flows of Irish, not undocumented Irish living in the United States.

As part of the negotiations, Ireland has offered to help US citizens to retire more easily in Ireland. The Department of Justice is exploring options to change the criteria for US retirees, including lowering the required income threshold and allowing retirees to work up to 20 hours a week.

It is understood that the Irish and Australian authorities are working closely in the negotiations as the bill moves to the Senate phase, including making minor changes to the original E3 system. Especially for Australia, the proposed legislation states that Irish citizens will be eligible for "a number equal to the difference between 10,500 and the number of applications approved during the previous fiscal year for foreigners Commonwealth nationals." from Australia "