The number of Irish students going to the United States on J1 working visas for the summer has hit a record high.

Since September 11 there has been a steady decline in the number of Irish students opting to spend their summer working in the United States.

According to figures released by USIT, a student travel agency, the number of students expected to travel to the United States this summer stands at around 9,000.

That is the highest figure since the summer of 2000 and shows a resurgence of the popularity of the J1 visa, which allows students to work for three months to supplement their holiday.

Since September 11, Irish students have avoided the traditional destinations such as Boston, New York and Chicago, and opted for more exotic trips to countries such as Thailand and Vietnam.

Australia has also seen a huge increase in the number of Irish students wanting to take advantage of the one year working visa offered by the country.

Lisa O’Regan, marketing manager at USIT, says the J1 visa has been a strong choice in 2006.

“Last year around 8,000 students traveled on the J1 visa, and we expect that figure to be even higher this year,” she said. “Back in 2000, there were around 10,000 students on J1 visas. Then the figures went down, but the feeling is definitely back up again.

O’Regan added that there is a great want from employers in the United States for Irish students.

“The slump a few years ago prompted the U.S. ambassador to go around colleges, encouraging more students to travel.”

Many Irish students take the opportunity to work in the United States and then often take a month’s tour of part of the country, spending their hard-earned dollars before returning home.

Aside from fears of terrorist attacks, another reason for the downturn in young Irish people applying for J1 visas is the availability of casual work in Ireland.

Although lower paid than in the United States, getting part-time or seasonal work in Ireland throughout the year allows Irish students to travel to poorer regions of the world where their euro can stretch further.

USIT added that, one of the most popular destinations in 2005 was South America.

Canada has also proved an alluring prospect with places on the first visa program selling out in less than two hours.

A new allocation of visas is now available.