Recent News in the Irish Community in San Francisco
	Irish Peace and Reconciliation Visas (updated Mar 16, 2000)

The Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Act 1998 known commonly as the Walsh Visa Programme was passed into law by the United States Congress in October 1998. The programme allows for 4000 young people (3000 from Northern Ireland and 1000 from the Border Counties of Ireland) obtain temporary 3 year work visas in the United States each year for the next three years.

FÁS will launch the first series of Programmes in Letterkenny Co. Donegal and Dundalk Co. Louth in February 2000, with 20 people being chosen to participate in each programme. These initial programmes will be located in Washington D.C., arriving in March 2000 and specifically targeting people who are interested in developing a career in the Hospitality or Information Technology sectors of industry. Future Programmes will be located in several major cities in the U.S.A. and will target people for other industry sectors.

Interested Applicants should be :

• Aged between 18-35 years, resident in any one of the following Border Counties of Ireland for the past three months (Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan, Louth)  
• Unemployed for three months or currently on a publicly funded training or Employment Programme or
• Redundant or in receipt of Redundancy Notice

Pre-departure training in Ireland

·        Selected applicants will undertake a six week pre-employment Programme with FÁS involving personal development, interview techniques, customer care skills and basic computer literacy.

·        During this period of training, Logicon the agent for the U.S. State Department and administrator for the U.S. Phase of the Programme, will provide up to a week intensive U.S. orientation, covering all aspects of working in the U.S.A.

·        Logicon will provide an Internet Web Site for all participants, containing a range of job vacancies with potential U.S. employers.

·        During the programme participants will interrogate the Web Site and make initial contact with employers.

·        Logicon will assist each participant in securing a temporary work visa and a job offer with an U.S. employer.

·        FÁS will provide Video conferencing equipment and telephone facilities to each participant to allow them negotiate and secure an U.S. job placement.

·        Each participant will need to hold a current valid passport.

·        Each participant will be required to pay IR£32.50 for their own temporary work Visa.

·        If a participant is unsuccessful in securing a work visa or a job offer from a U.S. employer, FÁS will give continued support to assist them find and secure a job locally in Ireland.

·        FÁS will pay standard training allowances for the duration of the pre-departure programme to a maximum of six weeks.

U.S. Phase

·        Logicon will accompany the first group of participants to Washington D.C.

·        Each participant will receive the following subsidy provided by FÁS during the U.S. Phase of the Programme

(i)                 One flight voucher to the U.S.A.

(ii)              Certificate of medical insurance to cover the period before taking up paid employment in the U.S.A. to a maximum of 4 weeks

(iii)            FÁS will help participants financially during the initial period in the U.S.A. before they take up paid employment

·        Participants will need to supplement this financial package with their own funding during the initial period overseas.

·        Visas can only be issued to participants who secure work with an approved U.S. employer.

·        FÁS reserves the right to seek recovery of its funding to participants if they do not stay a minimum of three months in an approved U.S. job placement.

·        Logicon will provide interim accommodation for participants when they arrive in the U.S.A.

·        On arrival in Washington D.C. Logicon will provide a three day “Settling-in” Programme which will introduce the participants to the city, its public transport system, banking and telephone systems, etc.

·        Logicon will provide a monitoring service and 24 hr help line for the duration of the placement.

Return to Ireland

Participants must return to Ireland once their temporary work visa has expired (up to 3 years).

FÁS will continue to give support to participants in finding full time employment on their return.

- Interested applicants should contact their local
FÁS Placement Services Office -

IIPC will post further details as they become available. There is no waiver provision in the legislation for people who have overstayed their visas in the U.S., but individuals here in the U.S. who wish to discuss whether or not they may be eligible may contact us in our San Francisco office at (415) 752-6006.