Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 279: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the sponsorship schemes for citizenship available for Irish people living illegally in the United States of America at present; and the location they can seek advice on the matter in America. [24224/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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A US citizen, or a lawful permanent resident, can apply to sponsor a close family relative to enter the United States on an immigrant visa. Eligibility for citizenship is then normally based on legal residency and/or service in the U.S. military. In addition, employers in the US may, in certain circumstances, apply to sponsor non-US nationals for entry. The undocumented, including the undocumented Irish, are not legally entitled to reside in the United States and are not, therefore, entitled to obtain US citizenship.

As US immigration law is complex, I would recommend that individuals seeking detailed advice should consult an immigration lawyer. Our Embassy in Washington or one of our Consulates in the United States can provide a list of suitable lawyers. Comprehensive information is also available on the United States Government's Citizenship and Immigration Services website www.uscis.gov.

As the Deputy will be aware, efforts to bring about comprehensive immigration reform, which would have addressed the status of our undocumented citizens in the United States, failed to get the necessary support in the US Congress earlier this year. Given the present very difficult and divided environment in Congress on immigration, it is now widely considered that such comprehensive legislation is unlikely to be back before Congress in a meaningful way in advance of the next US Presidential and Congressional Elections.

The Government is determined to explore all possible alternative options, including bilateral arrangements. My recent visit to the United States provided me with the opportunity to discuss the situation with senior members of the Administration and with some of the key central players in Congress. While they emphasized the present extremely difficult environment for making progress on immigration reform in Congress, I was pleased that they were willing to work with us in exploring further possible ways for resolving the position of our undocumented citizens. This work will now be pursued by the Ambassador and his staff in Washington and will be reviewed by my on an ongoing basis.