J-Visa for the USA!

jojo75

itsjaybud wrote: »

Hi Guys!

Had my interview Monday, was very straight forward got there at 9am and was gone at 11am.

The interview was easier than the others i have heard of!

Basically just asked when did i graduate? I gave my answer and he said fine your visa will be in the post!

Anyway regards insurance can anyone confirm if blue insurance does actually meet the requirements? I know someone who is already working in the states on the 12month J1 visa and got blue insurance for €320 i think.

I presume this insurance cover is okay to go with?

Otherwise i take it gateway is my best option?

Thanks in advance! This has been a very helpful thread some very good posts.

itsjaybud,


I think the Blue Insurance will suffice as cover on this visa. I sent them the list of requirements that the IIC sent me and to check if that policy covered all of them. Here's part of an e-mail a rep from Blue Insurance sent me.

"On blue insurance long stay policy for 1 year will cost €209.00 and will cover all of the below requirements listed. You can book on the Blue website www.blueinsurance.ie or call us on 0818 484 484."

I checked it out and it can be got for €209 on the website, they only updated the prices on the website yesterday.

itsjaybud

jojo75 wrote: »

itsjaybud,


I think the Blue Insurance will suffice as cover on this visa. I sent them the list of requirements that the IIC sent me and to check if that policy covered all of them. Here's part of an e-mail a rep from Blue Insurance sent me.

"On blue insurance long stay policy for 1 year will cost €209.00 and will cover all of the below requirements listed. You can book on the Blue website www.blueinsurance.ie or call us on 0818 484 484."

I checked it out and it can be got for €209 on the website, they only updated the prices on the website yesterday.

I went ahead and got that for €209 this morning over the phone!

I went throught the requirements again with her and it seems to be fine, anyway hopefully i wont need it.

Thanks for your reply!!!

Mentos

Ok can anyone help me, I want to apply for this visa but im wondering what the cheapest and easiest way is?? USIT seems very expensive!! is there any way you can just the visa and sort flights and insurance yourself?? if someone could talk me through how it works that would be amazing because im finding it difficult to find any useful info anywhere!! is there anyone you can call to answer questions or anything??

Cliona99

Mentos, best advice I could give you, would be read every post in this forum then go to www.iicenter.org, click on the link for the J-1 Irish Work and Travel Program. You can call or email them, and they'll answer any questions you have. Good luck!

Wuggectumondo

I was just about to write the same as Cliona....

I know this thread is long but I would highly advise you to read ALL of the pages, where you will get lots of instructions- it'll save you alot of research time. That is where I got all my info from. And IIC is the cheapest and I felt more "cared for" by them than USIT...

You have to pay a company like IIC, USIT etc to get your DS2019 form, you can't get them yourself. We'd all do it if we could get the papers without paying so much for them...

padswhack

Any advice on where to get a good deal on flights if you are going thru the IIC?

Cliona99

travelpaths.ie

Got a flight from Dublin to Fort Worth for €270.

5nights

Hi!

I followed these boards from the announcement of the J visa back in October, because I wanted to come and work in America for a year after I graduated. I'm currently on the new 1 year Visa, got it through USIT (no problems apart from the price) and arrived in Texas back in June. The sponsor USIT use in the USA is ciee

- I'm 28, I did an apprenticeship after school, after qualifing as a Plumber I went back to Bolton St to do a Building Services degree. I'm finished now and though I could fall back on my plumbing if I didnt get any Engineering work straight away.

Anyway the problem I'm having is that this visa only allows me to get a job as an intern (Internships are common over here, but some of them are not well paid) I've been here almost 3 months now and have had no luck with getting any internships, I've been in touch with over 50 companys related to my degree and none of them seem interesed in hiring me/ have any positions, and I'm getting very little feed back. I'm lucky that I'm staying with a family over here so financially I'm under no real pressure, but I wanted to let people know that you can only get internships on this visa, I cant walk into walmart tommorrow and get a job if I'm running low on cash.

Otherwise this is my 4th summer in a row in the States and I love it

Wuggectumondo

It would be cool if it was just a one-year J1
Best of luck finding something 5nights! I thought it would be a bit more lenient like any sort of job related to your college degree...

SWalsh21

Hey guys,

Just thought I would let you know that I am in the same position as 5nights. Myself and my boyfriend came to Chicago on this visa which we got from Pan Atlantic SMS Group. Our 90 days to find a job is up at the end of this month so we will most likely be going home after wasting a LOT of money on this visa when we could have spent 90 days here without a visa.

Im a qualified Legal Executive and also have 3 years experience as a legal secretary, applied to loads of jobs in that field, jobs I could do with my eyes closed and only received about 2 replies to say they had no "internships". My boyf is a quantity surveyor and had no luck either. We are convinced now that Americans are only hiring fellow Americans.

I would STRONGLY suggest that you have a job organised before you come over!!

jojo75

SWalsh21 wrote: »

Hey guys,

Just thought I would let you know that I am in the same position as 5nights. Myself and my boyfriend came to Chicago on this visa which we got from Pan Atlantic SMS Group. Our 90 days to find a job is up at the end of this month so we will most likely be going home after wasting a LOT of money on this visa when we could have spent 90 days here without a visa.

Im a qualified Legal Executive and also have 3 years experience as a legal secretary, applied to loads of jobs in that field, jobs I could do with my eyes closed and only received about 2 replies to say they had no "internships". My boyf is a quantity surveyor and had no luck either. We are convinced now that Americans are only hiring fellow Americans.

I would STRONGLY suggest that you have a job organised before you come over!!

SWalsh21,

I may have a few names of Irish Construction Companies in Chicago which I found while searching for my own job, if you PM me I'll forward them on and your boyfriend can try them.

shebop

How's everyone getting on?

Have those of you in the states had any luck with jobs?

What about the undecided? Had any luck with jobs at home?

I have to say, I was all set to go ahead to Boston and take the risk, but I've lost confidence from a few of the above messages. I've also been offered a job here, so really unsure what to do. Part of me thinks, 'feck stability' and go to US and risk it. Haven't done the year-travel thing before, and I just feel this visa is a once-off chance to go to the US for a year ... will I regret it!? Bah ... where's that crystal ball?!

/rant

AARRRGH

shebop wrote: »

What about the undecided?

I've given up on it and instead am considering Spain.

I know the Spanish enonomy is also in trouble, but Spain is so cheap so I could live there on very little, whereas in NY I would be spending a fortune.

Also, in Spain I don't have to be an "intern" and can work anywhere doing anything I'm qualified for. And I'd learn a language in the process. And be in the sun.

So it'll be a long holiday in NY if I ever go there; it won't be an internship...

Wuggectumondo

shebop wrote: »

What about the undecided?

/rant

I heard alot of people have gone to Canada (Vancouver) as apparently their economy isn't so bad...

shebop

Wow, that's quite a change Aarrrgh! You had taken the first few steps with the application right?

I hear ya on 'only' being of an intern status on this visa, it is really offputting to have to explain the whole DS form procedure to a prospective employer ....

Spain sounds like an excellent choice -- really wish you the best with it!

@Wuggectumondo -- yeah, Canada is the new Australia, but anyone I know that's gone there is doing bar work or odd jobs. I had a wee look myself and there was little or nothing for what I'm qualified for. Bit of a recurring theme everywhere! :mad:

AARRRGH wrote: »

I've given up on it and instead am considering Spain.

I know the Spanish enonomy is also in trouble, but Spain is so cheap so I could live there on very little, whereas in NY I would be spending a fortune.

Also, in Spain I don't have to be an "intern" and can work anywhere doing anything I'm qualified for. And I'd learn a language in the process. And be in the sun.

So it'll be a long holiday in NY if I ever go there; it won't be an internship...

AARRRGH

shebop wrote: »

Wow, that's quite a change Aarrrgh! You had taken the first few steps with the application right?

I hear ya on 'only' being of an intern status on this visa, it is really offputting to have to explain the whole DS form procedure to a prospective employer ....

Spain sounds like an excellent choice -- really wish you the best with it!

Thanks.

I never sent off my application - I just gathered all the information I needed so I could apply when the time was right.

I know I'd love NY and would never leave the place, but I think it's just too risky at the moment. Intern, possibility of not getting a job, high cost of living...

Harpy

hey,
I'm hoping to go to america on this visa next summer july/ august.. i was just wondering how long before i want to go should i apply? how long does the process of getting the visa take.. also say if i apply for it and get my visa in may and don't go over till july/august am i missing out on two months of my vise or does the 12 months only start when you enter america.
thanks.

dedon

I am mad to go to NY but not having much look finding an internship. Anyone know where I can look?? Is there much hope??

Can I risk going over without a job and try and get one over??

this is in relation to the 12month visa

SolarCharge

Hi guys,

I've read this entire tread over the last couple of days and I have to say, it has been a huge help. I'm almost certainly going to America in January so this has been very helpful.

But just before I get my visa with the IIC in Boston... What are the different types of 12 months (or more) Visas we can apply for?

I've tried searching for this answer on the American Embassy's website but there is just reams of dense jargon that it is almost impossible to get an answer.

Wuggectumondo

SolarCharge wrote: »

Hi guys,

But just before I get my visa with the IIC in Boston... What are the different types of 12 months (or more) Visas we can apply for?

With the IIC, you can do the new 12 month work and travel visa (the one where you have to do an internship related to your college degree and don't have to have a job organised before you go.)

I don't think they do the other type of internship visa where you have to have a placement organised before you go and you can't change jobs... I asked them about this before and they wouldn't recommend it as it is a bit more tricky with having to stay in one job and having to have it organised before you go

Here is their website with info http://www.iicenter.org/

Yes the Embassy websites can be a bit hard to follow!!!

Best of luck

SolarCharge

Thanks for the advise, but I'm still a bit confused.

Is the IWT Programme that the IIC offer a J-1 visa? Because I have been on J-1 a couple of times for the summer and I thought they were only for five months?

Cliona99

I got this 12 month internship visa. I got to Fort Worth in June and couldn't find a job. I teach English as a second language and have applied for every job going. Then in September the three major school districts near where I'm living instituted hiring freezes because of budget cuts. So the chances of me getting a job in a school disappeared. I'm heading back to Ireland on Tuesday. I've had a great couple of months but if I could give anyone some advice, I'd say either have an internship lined up before you come over, or a ton of savings. Because I was staying with friends (and rent-free!) I could afford to stay as long as I have. Good luck everyone if you decide to go for it!

SolarCharge

Wow Cliona, I'm sorry it worked out that way. You've certainly got me thinking.

Did you try to get a bar job or anything while you were over there?

Wuggectumondo

SolarCharge wrote: »

Thanks for the advise, but I'm still a bit confused.

Is the IWT Programme that the IIC offer a J-1 visa? Because I have been on J-1 a couple of times for the summer and I thought they were only for five months?

Hi Solar Charge,

At the start, the media reported it wrong- it is not a year-long J-1 visa. The "J" bit means that it is a student visa meaning you have to go within a year of graduating from your last college degree.

It is an internship class visa, meaning that you have to getting a full time internship related to your college degree. Your sponsoring company will have to fill out forms to confirm this. That means that you cannot get a second job eg. bar work to help you out.

Do read every single page of this thread, there is alot of helpful info in it.

USIT also have some info on their site:

http://usit.ie/travel/12_month_usa_work_programme.html

Best of luck

Wuggectumondo

AARRRGH wrote: »

Thanks.

I know I'd love NY and would never leave the place, but I think it's just too risky at the moment. Intern, possibility of not getting a job, high cost of living...

Me too!!!

By the way fair play for giving it a shot Cliona- hope you enjoyed your time over there anyway!

SolarCharge

Hey guys.

The IIC told me today that they are having trouble with their supply of DS-2019 forms and do not know when they are getting more in.

Should I be worried?

GerSmith

hi Guys,

My first post here. Hoping to travel to chicago min summer of 2010 on the 12 month program. Could anyone tell me if its ok to go BEFORE you graduate? Im in my final year of a business honours degree and my finals are in may. I would like to head there in July but im unsure as to whether you have to physically have your graduation cert or will a letter from the college saying you are due to graduate in november suffice?

Thanks

SolarCharge

No that's fine if you haven't graduated yet. You can apply anyway.

GerSmith

Thanks for that.

How is everyone getting on? Im DYING to get back to the states!!

shebop

@ Cliona, sorry to hear you'd no luck with the job, but well done on taking the plunge and getting over there. no regrets, eh?

I didn't go for it ... I actually got an offer of paralegal work in Boston in the end, was due to have started last Monday, but well, I got royally dumped by my American ex and lost all will to go. Also got a job offer here and relocated to the Wesht, so am hoping there's enough 'change' here to keep me happy .... it's been a funny year for our 'lost generation' ...

If anyone's considering this Visa, the IIC are the way to go, and, like others, I strongly advise you try and get work sorted before you get over there. Check out iagora and interntown for any internships going, and google google google. Monster.com and indeed.com were good jobs sites too. Get your CVs and Cover Letters Americanised 'i.e. oversell and whore your qualities! and just go for it.

Good luck!