Latest news with #J1Visa
BreakingNews.ie
14-07-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Students should not be ‘deprived' of US visas for protesting, Harris says
Students should not be deprived of a US J-1 visa for expressing a view on 'horrific issues that are happening around the world', the Tánaiste has said. Last month, the US Embassy in Dublin announced that students applying for J-1 visas will undergo 'comprehensive and thorough vetting' of their social media. Advertisement The changes also apply for other exchange visitor applicants in the F, M and J non-immigrant classifications. All applicants are asked to list all their social media profiles, and make their accounts publicly accessible. Failure to do so could lead to a visa being rejected. The embassy said it will use all available information in its visa screening to identify those who 'are inadmissible' to the US, including those who pose a threat to national security. Advertisement It said it wanted to ensure those applying for admission into the US 'do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests'. It added that a US visa 'is a privilege, not a right'. Ireland's national students' union said the new measures represent a significant and disproportionate intrusion into personal lives and digital privacy, and that they raise serious concerns about freedom of expression and online surveillance. Simon Harris said he had 'a really good conversation' about student visas with Ed Walsh, US ambassador to Ireland, on Monday. Advertisement Speaking to reporters afterwards, Mr Harris said: 'I think Ambassador Walsh knows the importance of the people-to-people connection between our two countries. 'I was making the point that we live in a country where young people have very, very strong views – as do I, by the way – on a lot of what's going on in the world and they have every right to express those views. 'And freedom of speech matters and being able to freely express yourself – online, offline, through protest – is an important part of our democracy, and I know President Trump is somebody who I would imagine in his own country would champion free speech. He added: 'So we very much want our young people to continue to be able to articulate their very strongly held views on horrific issues that are happening around the world but that shouldn't deprive somebody from going on J-1.' Advertisement Mr Harris said while immigration policy and visas is a matter for the US, he said he and the ambassador agreed to keep in touch on the matter. 'Ireland and the US have been friends for hundreds of years. It's important we keep those connections going, and I wouldn't like to see anything that causes apprehension for a young person travelling to the United States – and I just made that point to Ambassador Walsh.'
Arab News
06-07-2025
- Health
- Arab News
Foreign medical residents fill critical positions at US hospitals, but are running into visa issues
Some hospitals in the US are without essential staff because international doctors who were set to start their medical training this week were delayed by the Trump administration's travel and visa restrictions. It's unclear exactly how many foreign medical residents were unable to start their assignments, but six medical residents interviewed by The Associated Press say they've undergone years of training and work only to be stopped at the finish line by what is usually a procedural step. 'I don't want to give up,' said a permanent Canadian resident who matched to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Harrisburg but had her visa denied because she is a citizen of Afghanistan. She requested to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal. 'But the situation also seems so helpless.' Initially, the medical community was worried that hundreds of positions — many in hospitals in low-income or rural areas of the US — could be affected. The pause on interviews for J-1 visas for approved work or study-related programs was lifted in mid-June. The national nonprofit that facilitates the residency match process said the visa situation is resolving, but it will take weeks to know with confidence how many medical residents have had the start of their careers derailed because they got their visa too late or were blocked by President Donald Trump's travel ban on 12 countries, according to people who coordinate the residents' training. Four foreign medical residents told the AP that US embassies have been slow to open up interview slots — and some have not opened any. 'You lose out on the time you could have used to treat patients,' said one resident from Pakistan, who matched to an internal medicine program in Massachusetts and requested to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal. Thousands of foreign medical residents fill gaps in US hospitals The US is projected to face a physician shortage in the next 11 years, per the Association of American Medical Colleges, and foreign medical residents fill critical gaps in the health care system. More than 6,600 foreign-born international medical residents matched into US programs in 2025 — the highest on record — and another 300 filled positions that were vacant after the match process was complete. Not all of those residents were affected by visa issues or the travel ban on foreign nationals from countries including Afghanistan, Haiti and Sudan. International medical graduates often take jobs in places where US medical trainees tend not to go, said Donna Lamb, president of the National Resident Matching Program. 'It's not just that they're coming in and they want to work in big, flashy centers on the coast,' Lamb said. 'They're truly providing health care for all of America.' Foreign medical residents work in specialties that US applicants aren't as eager to apply to. For example, international candidates make up almost 40 percent of residents in internal medicine, which specializes in the prevention and treatment of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. 'The residents are the backbone of the entire hospital,' said Dr. Zaid Alrashid from Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in New York, which has medical residents from almost every continent. Most received their visas prior to the pause but a few were caught up in delays. Two residents from India who spoke on condition of anonymity have not been able to get an appointment at any US embassies there despite the J-1 visa pause being lifted. Another resident from Egypt just secured a visa appointment for mid-August but is worried her program may not be willing to wait for her. She's already paid her security deposit for an apartment in Texas to live during her residency. 'I don't know when this situation will be resolved,' said the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, adding she hasn't been eating or sleeping well. Hospitals waiting for residents to arrive In California, leaders at two graduate medical education programs said they have a small number of residents caught up in J-1 visa delays. Both spoke on condition of anonymity due to concerns for the doctors who are still trying to get visas. A residency leader at one large health care system said two doctors in its 150-resident program are delayed, adding they could start late or defer to next year. A 135-person program at a California public health system told the AP that one resident has yet to arrive, though he was finally scheduled for a visa interview. 'We are not going to breathe easy until he's here in our hospital,' the second leader said. As of Wednesday, Lamb's matching program had received fewer than 20 requests to defer or cancel residency contracts. Worried about losing their spots if they defer, many foreign medical residents may keep trying to get to the US and start their residencies late, said Dr. Sabesan Karuppiah, a past member of the American Medical Association's International Medical Graduates Governing Council and former director of a large residency program. Some hospitals may struggle at this point to replace the residents who don't make it, leaving fewer people to care for the same number of patients, said Kimberly Pierce Burke, executive director of the Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers. Foreign medical trainees who've made it into the US remain on edge about their situations, Karuppiah said. 'I can tell you the word on the street is: 'Do not leave the country,'' he said, adding that people are missing out on important events, seeing sick parents or even getting married. 'Everybody's scared to just leave, not knowing what's going to happen.'
Al Arabiya
04-07-2025
- Health
- Al Arabiya
Foreign Medical Residents Fill Critical Positions at US Hospitals, But Are Running Into Visa Issues
Some hospitals in the US are without essential staff because international doctors who were set to start their medical training this week were delayed by the Trump administration's travel and visa restrictions. It's unclear exactly how many foreign medical residents were unable to start their assignments, but six medical residents interviewed by The Associated Press say they've undergone years of training and work only to be stopped at the finish line by what is usually a procedural step. 'I don't want to give up,' said a permanent Canadian resident who matched to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Harrisburg but had her visa denied because she is a citizen of Afghanistan. She requested to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal. 'But the situation also seems so helpless.' Initially, the medical community was worried that hundreds of positions–many in hospitals in low-income or rural areas of the US–could be affected. The pause on interviews for J-1 visas for approved work or study-related programs was lifted in mid-June. The national nonprofit that facilitates the residency match process said the visa situation is resolving, but it will take weeks to know with confidence how many medical residents have had the start of their careers derailed because they got their visa too late or were blocked by President Donald Trump's travel ban on 12 countries, according to people who coordinate the residents' training. Four foreign medical residents told the AP that US embassies have been slow to open up interview slots–and some have not opened any. 'You lose out on the time you could have used to treat patients,' said one resident from Pakistan who matched to an internal medicine program in Massachusetts and requested to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal. Thousands of foreign medical residents fill gaps in US hospitals. The US is projected to face a physician shortage in the next 11 years, per the Association of American Medical Colleges, and foreign medical residents fill critical gaps in the health care system. More than 6,600 foreign-born international medical residents matched into US programs in 2025–the highest on record–and another 300 filled positions that were vacant after the match process was complete. Not all of those residents were affected by visa issues or the travel ban on foreign nationals from countries including Afghanistan, Haiti, and Sudan. International medical graduates often take jobs in places where US medical trainees tend not to go, said Donna Lamb, president of the National Resident Matching Program. 'It's not just that they're coming in and they want to work in big flashy centers on the coast,' Lamb said. 'They're truly providing health care for all of America.' Foreign medical residents work in specialties that US applicants aren't as eager to apply to. For example, international candidates make up almost 40 percent of residents in internal medicine, which specializes in the prevention and treatment of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. 'The residents are the backbone of the entire hospital,' said Dr. Zaid al-Rashid from Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in New York, which has medical residents from almost every continent. Most received their visas prior to the pause, but a few were caught up in delays. Two residents from India who spoke on condition of anonymity have not been able to get an appointment at any US embassies there despite the J-1 visa pause being lifted. Another resident from Egypt just secured a visa appointment for mid-August but is worried her program may not be willing to wait for her. She's already paid her security deposit for an apartment in Texas to live during her residency. 'I don't know when this situation will be resolved,' said the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, adding she hasn't been eating or sleeping well. In California, leaders at two graduate medical education programs said they have a small number of residents caught up in J-1 visa delays. Both spoke on condition of anonymity due to concerns for the doctors who are still trying to get visas. A residency leader at one large health care system said two doctors in its 150-resident program are delayed, adding they could start late or defer to next year. A 135-person program at a California public health system told the AP that one resident has yet to arrive, though he was finally scheduled for a visa interview. 'We are not going to breathe easy until he's here in our hospital,' the second leader said. As of Wednesday, Lamb's matching program had received fewer than 20 requests to defer or cancel residency contracts. Worried about losing their spots if they defer, many foreign medical residents may keep trying to get to the US and start their residencies late, said Dr. Sabesan Karuppiah, a past member of the American Medical Association's International Medical Graduates Governing Council and former director of a large residency program. Some hospitals may struggle at this point to replace the residents who don't make it, leaving fewer people to care for the same number of patients, said Kimberly Pierce Burke, executive director of the Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers. Foreign medical trainees who've made it into the US remain on edge about their situations, Karuppiah said. 'I can tell you the word on the street is: 'Do not leave the country,'' he said, adding that people are missing out on important events, seeing sick parents, or even getting married. 'Everybody's scared to just leave not knowing what's going to happen.' The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
BreakingNews.ie
23-06-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Taoiseach criticises ‘excessive' measures faced by students seeking US visas
The Taoiseach has described a decision to subject students applying for J1 visas to a 'comprehensive and thorough vetting' of their social media as 'excessive'. Micheál Martin said he does not agree nor approve of the measures announced by the US embassy on Monday. Advertisement Ireland's national students' union said the new measures represent a significant and disproportionate intrusion into personal lives and digital privacy, and that they raise serious concerns about freedom of expression and online surveillance. The changes also apply for other exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications. All applicants are asked to list all their social media profiles, and make their accounts publicly accessible. Failure to do so could lead to a visa being rejected. Advertisement Referring to the US, Mr Martin told reporters in Dublin that there is an issue 'around freedom of speech'. 'I believe those measures by the United States are excessive,' he said. 'I don't approve of them. I don't agree with them. One of the great things in the world, in the modern world, has been the capacity for young people to travel and mobility is important. 'The US is probably one of the more difficult countries to to get into, at times. There is an issue around freedom of speech, but it's more the atmosphere that's created by these measures, the fear and the anxiety that young people will now experience travelling. Advertisement 'My understanding is applications are down in terms of J1 (visas). We have witnessed a pause on the processing of J1 most recently. 'There's been a longstanding, obviously, relationship with America in terms of young people travelling and American young people travelling to Ireland. 'In the context of the European Union, we would love to have young citizens from the United Kingdom travelling freely across Europe. That's the Irish position, and vice versa. 'I understand the security, but I think good intelligence and good security can stymie anyone who would be out to attack a country or attack America. I understand that. I get that, but I think it is excessive in respect of the measures announced today.' Advertisement The US embassy said that it will use all available information in its visa screening to identify those who 'are inadmissible' to the US, including those who pose a threat to national security. In a statement on Monday, it said that a US visa 'is a privilege, not a right'. It said that it protects the US by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety, adding: 'Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications. 'To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public'. Advertisement 'Visa applicants are required to list all social media user names or handles of every platform they have used from the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form. 'Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. 'Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.' The US embassy in Dublin will resume scheduling F, M, and J non-immigrant visa applications 'soon'. It added: 'Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. 'The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.' Aontas na Mac Leinn in Eirinn (AMLE), formerly known as the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), expressed concern over the changes. AMLE deputy president Bryan O'Mahony said: 'Students should not be subjected to invasive scrutiny simply for seeking educational and cultural opportunities abroad. Ireland Leo Varadkar says Keir Starmer should not 'try to... Read More 'These changes create a climate of fear and self-censorship, and risk unfairly penalising students from marginalised or politically active communities.' The union called on the Irish Government to advocate for the 'rights and dignity' of students seeking to study, work or travel on a J1 visa. The AMLE advised students applying for a J1 visa or any US student visa this summer to 'remain informed, stay safe and carefully review what they are sharing publicly online'.
BreakingNews.ie
23-06-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Students seeking US visas to face ‘thorough vetting' of social media
Students applying for J1 visas will undergo 'comprehensive and thorough vetting' of their social media, the US Embassy has announced. The changes also apply for other exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications. Advertisement All applicants are asked to list all their social media profiles, and make their accounts publicly accessible. Failure to do so could lead to a visa being rejected. The embassy said that it will use all available information in its visa screening to identify those who 'are inadmissible' to the US, including those who pose a threat to national security. In a statement on Monday, it said that a US visa 'is a privilege, not a right'. Advertisement It said that it protects the US by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety, adding: 'Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications. 'To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public'. 'Visa applicants are required to list all social media user names or handles of every platform they have used from the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form. 'Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Advertisement 'Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.' Ireland Irish citizens evacuated from Iran Read More The US Embassy in Dublin will resume scheduling F, M, and J non-immigrant visa applications 'soon'. It added: 'Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. 'The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.' Advertisement
