Way less people doing the J1 thing this year?

seamus · 18-01-2002 2:06pm #1

I dunno, maybe there is. It's from what I remember of my bro going (4 years ago), they were queueing all night to get their J1. But two friends just strolled up yesterday at 9am and went straight in, and bang! instant J1 (subject to the usual stuff of course).

So what's the story? I decided against it this year, because I had heard loads of people had to come home early last year because they couldn't get work and ran out of cash. That coupled with the whole downturned economy thing, are there any jobs going in the US this summer? And are as many people going, or are there just more J1's available, hence no queueing. Anyone?

b20uvkft6m5xwg · 18-01-2002 2:16pm

I've noticed that too Seamus.
I was in USIT the other day, and remembering when i went a few years ago at this time of year, the office was fairly quite!?

I heard the applications for J2 visas though are way up on previous years- in fact I think they are all gone at this stage.
Haven't heard much talk of it around college either. Maybe its lost its attraction and possibly ppl are a bit weary of going to NYC or Boston because of September 11th??

leeroybrown · 19-01-2002 8:40pm

With all the stories of the US economy not being as buoyant as usual a lot of people that would otherwise have went might bit be a bit more wary of going. Perhaps chosing to wait another year before applying for a J1.

Also, many peoples famailes may have dissuaded them from heading out this year.

DeadBankClerk · 21-01-2002 7:44pm

im off to new york :P

smoke.me.a.kipper · 23-01-2002 12:39pm

if id known what j1 was or when to register, i might have done it

b20uvkft6m5xwg · 23-01-2002 6:16pm

Its the class of VISA open to students to apply to work in the USA from June to October. The scheme is administrated by the Student Travel Agents (ie. USIT & SAYIT)

This is how you go about applying....
http://www.usitnow.ie/countries/ireland/j1/j1.htm

Its still open BTW, until Feb 6th- AFAIK

alb · 29-01-2002 7:43pm

I went to Boston last summer with 3 friends on J1. We arrived as early as possible (i.e. 1st june) it was a total bitch finding somewhere to live. It took us a week, and a further 3 weeks for any of us to get jobs, if we hadn't brought a good cushion of cash with us we'd have been buggered. Still once everything was sorted we had a brilliant summer. If you're thinking of it, I'd really advise tryign to sort accom/work before you go, and be prepared to rough it for a bit.

Way less people doing the J1 thing this year?

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