Ireland's Ambassador to the US is urging J1 visas holders to return to Ireland.Getty Images
J1 visa holders in America should “make your way back to Ireland as soon as possible,” says Ambassador Daniel Mulhall
J1 visa holders in the US should “make your way back to Ireland as soon as possible,” according to Ireland’s Ambassador to the US, Daniel Mulhall.
Mulhall shared the message on Twitter on March 30:
Advice to Irish J1 visa holders in the USA. I spent a summer in Kansas City & know how enjoyable and beneficial an experience it is. In current circumstances, the best advice I can give you is to return home as soon as you can. Contact your airline about flight options. pic.twitter.com/5nO6je8tdF
— Daniel Mulhall (@DanMulhall) March 30, 2020
Read More: Coronavirus: Irish gov trying to bring home 2,000 citizens stranded abroad
Ambassador Mulhall said: “This is a message to Irish people here in America on J1 visas.
“I know how important the J1 experience is because I was a J1 visa visitor when I was a student. I really enjoyed and benefitted from the experience of living in Kansas City in those days.
“I know how reluctant you will be to alter your plans and go back to Ireland. But in the current circumstances, our best advice to you is that you should go back to Ireland.
“There are still flights from a number of US cities and, reluctantly, I would suggest to you that you ought to contact your airline to check flight availability and make your way back to Ireland as soon as possible.”
Read More: Ireland, UK added to US coronavirus travel ban
Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs is urging all Irish people abroad on short-term programs to return home:
⚠️Travel Advisory for USA: In the USA the spread of #Covid19 virus is becoming more serious each day, putting the population at increasing risk. We are advising those on short term visas who risk losing employment, financial security & access to health care to return to Ireland. pic.twitter.com/LUs9wGxhrB
— Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) March 27, 2020
Regarding travel to and from the US, Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs says: "We are also encouraging all Irish visitors who wish to return to Ireland from the USA to make provision to do so now. Anyone coming into Ireland, except from Northern Ireland, will be required to restrict their movement on arrival for 14 days."
At the time of publishing, the US has the most confirmed cases of coronavirus in the world with more than 175,000. Ireland has 2,900 confirmed cases.
Read More: Coronavirus live updates: Six deaths, 53 newly confirmed cases in Northern Ireland