June 1st, 2001:

So it begins

So by now the first of the J1 students are on their way or have arrived in the US. Keep updated to these webpages which are being updated regularly with news and information. Anyone who wishes to contribute to this page can e-mail me at j1-host@online.ie. We would love to hear from you and any information or stories you have will be very helpful to other J1 students following you over. So best of luck and have a great time.

J1-Host

May 18th, 2001:

J1 Students warned of housing and job shortages on the East Coast

By Jim Colgan, Irish Voice

J-1 STUDENTS are facing a potential nightmare in New York and Boston this summer because of a shortage of housing and jobs.

Students have been warned to plan ahead as the slowing economy is putting a major squeeze on traditional student jobs, such as construction and the service industries.

Father Thomas Flynn of the Aisling Irish Immigration Center in Yonkers, a strongly Irish area, said students had to be prepared for a tough landing.

"There have been significant numbers of students coming out completely unprepared," Fr. Flynn told the Irish Voice.

"They have no solid contacts. They find themselves out here and they have a big problem. They come to us when they find themselves running out of money and with nowhere to go," he said.

Over 200 students turned to the Aisling Center in a panic last year while a number were forced to sleep rough on park benches as they had nowhere else to go.

Fr Flynn said some should think twice about coming at all.

"I would say there is little problem if they've got a definite contact here. But, if not, they should be pragmatic, they should go where they feel they have work. Or they might consider staying at home."

Fr Flynn is currently trying to raise awareness of the problem in the hope it can be lessened this time round.

The slowing economy is also causing concern as construction and services jobs may be scarcer than past summers,

"All the indicators that I find, talking to people in construction and that, there is a definite slow-down in the whole business. That would suggest that it might be worsened this summer. So this is a year where it's not going to be easy," Fr Flynn warned.

"We don't want to be telling people not to come to New York or discourage them in any way. It can be very educational," Fr Flynn said.

"But they need to have definite contacts for work and accommodation. And I would say that they should bring at least $1,000, so in the worst case scenario they can move on," he added.

USIT has gone one step further and is asking students to stay out of the cities.

"It's in our participant handbook. It's also underlined in our orientations constantly," Anne Scott of USIT in New York said.

"We ask them to keep out of the cities, it's extremely difficult to get jobs and virtually impossible to find accommodation.

"We tell them this before they come here and again at the orientation after they arrive," she said.

But the lure of the city is still strong for students.

Trinity College student Dylan Collins said he was confident of finding work and accommodating, despite the warnings.

"I'm quite confident that job-wise I'll get something sorted. Maybe in the tech line of things," he said.

"Even if there is a perceived downturn in the economy, I'm sure that the pubs and the cafes are always going to be hiring.

"In terms of accommodation, definitely it will be tough. It'll be a case of hitting the streets I'd imagine."

He sees the warnings as mere "scare-mongering" and said the resorts were a a better option for "inexperienced travelers."

"Setting up shop in a city like New York is a challenge. But if you know what you're doing and are confident in your ability then it should be fine. Otherwise, just go to the resorts." - Irish Voice

Additional report: This advice should not be taken lightly. There are hundreds of students, not only Irish, who descend on Boston and more especially New York, looking for work every summer. The competition will be fierce and unless you have no sense of adventure inside you, then the advice is to move away from these big cities. Both Boston and New York are fun to visit if you really want to see them. There was a report in a newspaper a few years ago which showed evidence that the reputation of misdemeanour and misadventure carried on by J1 students in New York was forcing businesses to discriminate against Irish J1 students looking for work. In some cases, they put signs in the window saying Irish J1 students need not apply. I also know of two large real estate agents in Boston and San Diego who refuse to rent to Irish students under any circumstances. So combined with this and the above report caution is advised when travelling to the United States this summer. However, if you have common sense and a little bit of initiative everything will work out fine. - J1-Host

April 16th, 2001:

J1 visas still available

There are still some J1 visas available from both SAYIT and USIT. If you are still interested in going then why not contact them as soon as possible to secure your place on this years programme. Alternatively you can apply direct to the US embassy in Ballsbridge for a visa and book your own flights.

April 12th, 2001:

Dot com crash good news for San Fran J1ers

Accommodation in San Francisco has been very difficult to come by for years. The occupancy rates stood at 99.99% for years and rent prices were never seen to decrease. However, now there is a slightly different story. With many dotcoms located in San Francisco, particularly around the South of Market area (SOMA) downtown, having to pull out because of the crash the office rents have bropped significantly. Now, say reports, office tenants are in the position to bargain for rent drops and landlords are offering a month's free rent to entice new occupants in to empty flats. This is good news for J1 students heading Westside as it has always been difficult for students to find accommodation in San Francisco. With the crash many residents are moving elsewhere to find jobs and hence the property market is opening up again somewhat. Things should be a little easier this year, but one should also be warned that doesn't mean it will be a labourless task either. Jobs are plentiful in San Francisco. It is afterall a city and a tourist magnet. However, as always, it is recommended if you're from a city in Ireland, not to travel to a city in the States as you will not take the adventure to the heights of enjoyment possible with your J1 visa that other less visited places can offer.

April 9th, 2001:

New articles added

Just to let you know that some new articles have been added in our destinations section pertaining to some more obscure locations such as Alaska, Hawaii, Montauk, Wildwood, Pacific Beach and Chicago.

March 5th, 2001:

Students express anger at hidden fee

Students have expressed anger at an apparently hidden fee contained in their package. From today, students began receiving their J1 package; the information packs supplied by the travel companies giving them information on what to do when they reach their destination. This pack costs from £189-£199 depending on who you travel with. With an estimated 7,000 J1 students travelling every year this amounts to nearly £1.5m (euro1.9m).

In previous years, a small folder was supplied which repeated itself every year except for a few minor details. The £1.5 million cost is not considered justified by students who believe there may be "a cosy cartel" in operation between the travel companies. There are other administration costs included in this fee such as deployment of representatives in each arrival destination in the U.S. which may justify the ends in this case.

Unfortunately though for students who fork out the approximate £700-£800 for their programme they have been shocked to discover that the fee for the J1 visa itself will cost them an extra $45. Some students have described this as "ridiculous" having thought that they had paid for everything.

This is actually stated in brochures available previous to payment and was pointed out to several angry students who e-mailed this site looking for answers. However, it would be good customer service were they to be reminded when they are paying for their flights and fees in the beginning.

February 5th, 2001:

There will be job interviews for positions as drivers, movers and sales people in Philadelphia and Boston in a furniture removal company (Isaacs Relocation) at the following locations and times:

UCD: 1200 - 1700 February 8th

Westbury: 1100-1600 February 9th
 

1100-1500 February 10th

If you wish to attend one of these interviews or cannot attend for some reason you can e-mail your resume to ajoseph@isaacsrelocation.com or fax +1-617-9642606

January 12th, 2001:

According to some USIT offices they will be accepting application deposits until this Monday. The deposit is £200 and guarantees you a place in the queue on a particular date when they begin issuing visas. This is a huge step away from the mayhem that occured in previous years when students were forced to queue in the cold all night outside their offices around the country.

November 7th, 2000: USIT have begun releasing new brochures and information enticing interest in next year's J1 program. Among the news on these pamphlets is that there is a new route to the USA servicing Washington/Baltimore. This coincides with the recent addition of this route to Aer Lingus' USA schedule. In total there are now five routes available to J1 students. These are New York, Boston, Washington/Baltimore, Chicago and San Francisco. This is good news for students intending to go to the East Coast but does not fare well for those wishing to head west. Flights to the West Coast are always short in supply and high in demand. Those who do not get a direct booking usually have to cope with the task of finding extra money to fly west when they arrive in America.

Another promotion by USIT is their aim to encourage students to arrange employment before they leave. There will be five prizes of fee reimbursement (£200) to the lucky winners! While attaining employment is a good idea before you leave it is difficult to achieve. However, now that we are in the age of the Internet, there is plenty of information and online application opportunities available. My advice is to start looking now. Get your résumé (not a CV) made up now and start e-mailing it with a cover letter to any potential employers in your destination state. If you are travelling to a city and wish to work in some sort of office environment then this is a must. There are plenty of employment agencies that would love to have your résumé on file for when you arrive.

November 1st, 2000:

The J1 silly season has begun. I have just come across the first of many USIT promotional pamphlets. It is in a newspaper type format. There are a couple of articles pertaining to previous student experiences and some obvious stabs at encouraging interest from freshers. All J1 News will be posted here so stay tuned. We wish to earn your interest and anything we can do to help just ask.