Given the immensity that is the story of Irish immigration to America, the obstacles facing potential Irish immigrants in recent times seem all the higher.

Given the closeness of the relationship between the United States and Ireland, the difficulties facing Americans who want to live and work in Ireland seem all the more extraordinary.

When difficulties such as theses are viewed as bilateral, the tendency is for friendly nations to work out mutually agreed arrangements.

With regard to a bilateral visa deal, however, this has yet to happen in the case of Washington and Dublin.

But the pressure is building for some sort of deal that will make a two way flow both viable and workable.

Immigration reform advocates have been talking up a bilateral deal for the past couple of years, but the issue has also raised concern in the transatlantic business community with particularly critical comment coming from the influential Ireland-U.S. Council.

Council president Michael Gibbons, speaking at his organization's recent announcement of its summer internship program, took issue with what he described as "vexing" and "unsatisfactory" blocks on reciprocal internship arrangements which would enable young American students to take up placements in the Republic of Ireland.

Feeling frustrated

Gibbons said the Ireland-U.S. Council leadership was "feeling some frustration" at what they saw as the inability of the Irish government to resolve the issue of temporary visas for U.S. students going to Ireland.

"The situation right now is that we have been told that the problem will be solved soon; but 10 months on I must say that the council folks working on this issue are beginning to feel some level of frustration," he told the gathering at the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan.

Gibbons is of the view that Ireland should have a reciprocal visa program to match what he sees as the generous internship visa program operated by the U.S. government, allowing Irish citizens to work and live in America for periods of up to two years.

Right now, according to Gibbons, the simple fact is that there is no such Irish internship visa program in existence.

"We have received assurances from several ministers, including the minister for justice and the minister for enterprise trade and employment, that the matter will be satisfactorily resolved.

"With the recent change in cabinet portfolios in Dublin, however, the process appears to have been slowed somewhat," Gibbons said.

And he revealed that some U.S. student interns placed with Irish companies last year were told they were there "effectively illegally" in Ireland and that "a blind eye" had been turned to their visa status.

That Irish official eye isn't always blind and its range of view can stretch beyond visas dealing specifically with internships. A number of stories have arisen in recent times highlighting the difficulties that some Americans can have in moving to Ireland to work or study.

The case of Hawaiian academic Keola Donaghy, highlighted by this paper last year, was a case in point.

Donaghy decided not to take up a position for a year at University College Cork because he was not allowed to bring with him his wife and daughter, this despite his assertion that he had enough money to finance both himself and his family for the year.

In its website, meanwhile, the Ireland-U.S. Council has posted a policy document that states that it has asked the Irish government "to introduce a program of work visas for American students, and those in America already working in their career fields, to experience the workplace in Ireland, for a certain limited period of, say, 18 months to two years."

Currently, the website statement adds, and as Mr. Gibbons pointed out, no such visa program exists.

U.S. generosity

"The U.S. Government has a generous internship visa program in place for Irish citizens to travel to America and work there legally for up to 18 months. The council prepared a report describing the current position relating to opportunities for U.S. students and others to legally take paid temporary work in Ireland," the document added.

The document, according to the council, was developed "with a view to creating further opportunities for Americans to work in Ireland."

It deals specifically with student visas and doesn't cross into the realm of a general bilateral visa deal, the kind that would allow for freer movement of workers between the United States and Ireland and an idea that is being actively promoted by groups such as the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform.

The council document outlines the history and scope of the student "Summer Work and Travel Program" known colloquially in Ireland as the J-1 Visa, which has been operating for more than 40 years.

"In 2006, some 7,000 Irish students participated in this program to the United States. This allows them legally to take up paid work for a maximum of four months between June and October," the council document stated.

The document goes on to describe the reciprocal scheme operated by Ireland for American students, known as the "Work and Travel Ireland Program," which began in 1976.

"It was established at a time of economic downturn when quotas were imposed by the U.S. government. It was never expected that there would be an exact balance of numbers. However, to assist the lobbying efforts at the time for increased numbers of J-1 visas for Irish students, it was necessary for Ireland to be seen to be providing a reciprocal opportunity for American students, no matter how low the numbers.

"Despite high levels of emigration from Ireland and the then-prevailing high unemployment rate in the country, USIT (the organization in Ireland which currently provides the arrival services and work authorization) has invested considerable effort in promoting in American colleges and universities the concept of American students living and working in Ireland temporarily.

"As a result of these efforts, the program has grown from zero to where several hundred American college students now avail annually of the chance to spend four months living, working and traveling in Ireland. In 2006, about 550 students participated," the council documented stated.

The document additionally highlighted what it called "the other opportunity for Irish students to work and travel in the U.S." this being the Internship USA program, which is open to enrolled undergraduates, post-graduates and those who are within 12 months of graduation.

"This program, which offers the facility to Irish citizens to work legally in a position compatible with chosen studies, has been operating for about 20 years. Initially, it only attracted students from colleges in Ireland, North and South, where a co-op placement was mandatory.

"However, the appeal is spreading and, with new regulations recently passed by the U.S. government, there is now an interesting second strand to this program. Practical Career Training (PCT) opens up opportunities for those already working in their career field to experience the U.S. workplace, again for a maximum period of 18 months."

Council troubled

According to the council, the "troubling and disappointing aspect" to this situation is that, to date, Ireland has not yet reciprocated with an internship visa program of its own, this despite the obvious change in Ireland's economic circumstances and the enormous benefits that would flow from such a measure. "Ireland offers no Internship Visa Program for U.S. students and others from America to undertake 18-month work assignments in the country. We believe this represents a great opportunity for the Irish government to inaugurate an initiative that fills the obvious gap that exists here," the council document argued.

"We believe that such an action by the Irish government would be well-received in the bilateral Ireland-U.S. government relationship. We also know that businesses in the United States with commercial connections to Ireland would welcome such a decision. We urge immediate action in Dublin to introduce the necessary measures to implement the plan."

The document added that the council understood that this issue had not yet been formally raised by any group with the Irish government.

"Thus, we are proceeding with the view that this approach will be received favorably," the document added.

It further pointed out that in the past, the Irish government had "usually displayed" strong support (especially through the Washington embassy and New York consulate) for the J-1 visa program.

"Clearly, the Department of Foreign Affairs fully understands the great benefits Ireland derives from it. While we are aware of the necessary priority and, at times, exclusivity given to EU citizens for work permits and student exchanges in Ireland, we feel the timing for this new measure is right. Clearly, the reciprocal precedent exists for the introduction of this exciting new internship program."

In conclusion, the council said it believed the 18 month program would be complementary to the current temporary student work program.

"Further, we believe it can be supported as an ideal extension of that concept. We are also in no doubt that it can make a great contribution to developing and maintaining the strong economic, cultural and diplomatic relationships between our two countries.

It will also be seen, we believe, as a demonstrable gesture on the part of the Irish government in acknowledging the centuries-old generosity of successive American governments in immigration matters."