Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

203. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of E3 visas between the United States of America and Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47077/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government continues to prioritise immigration issues in our relationship with the United States. This includes working towards secure legal pathways for Irish people to live and work in the US as well as addressing the situation of undocumented Irish.

We have continued to raise these matters, including but not limited to the E3 Visa Bill, in our engagement with successive US Administrations, members of the US Congress, and leaders from across the political spectrum. The Taoiseach raised the matter in March this year while meeting with President Biden during his St. Patrick's Day virtual visit. He also discussed the issue of the E3 visa bill, and creating pathways to citizenship, with the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Most recently, I raised the matter in my meetings on Capitol Hill during my visit to Washington D.C. last week.

President Biden's proposed US Citizenship Act of 2021 shows that immigration issues are a key priority for his Administration, and Ireland welcomes this development. The Government continues to pursue the E3 Visa Bill, which, if passed, could allow access to thousands of US visas each year to Irish citizens, providing new opportunities to live and work in the US.

Our Embassy in Washington D.C. engages in extensive outreach in support of the Bill, working with the US Congress on a bipartisan basis, meeting with both members of the House of Representatives and of the Senate. We will seek at the earliest opportunity the reintroduction of the Bill to the United States Congress.