Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore has said that a new working visa for Irish emigrants to the United States could be included in an immigration bill introduced in the Republican-led House of Representatives.
Mr Gilmore said that no opposition had been raised by members of Congress to the proposed "E3" visa during his two days of meetings on Capitol Hill and he believes that the visa could be included should Republicans proceed with their own immigration bill in the House.
“We certainly have not heard of any direct opposition to the idea so I would be hopeful that that could be included,” he said.
A comprehensive immigration reform bill passed by the Democrat-led Senate last year included 10,500 new 'E3" visas for Irish people.
The bill was rejected by House Republicans who object to the proposal to create a path to citizenship for almost 12 million illegal immigrants, including an estimated 50,000 Irish in the US. House Republicans want to strengthen security along America's border with Mexico before offering legal status to the so-called undocumented.
Mr Gilmore said that he still believed it would be possible to pass immigration legislation before Congress breaks for the summer at the end of July but there had to be “a very clear political will.”
On his last trip to the US before he steps down as Labour leader on July 4th, the Tanaiste met President Obama's domestic policy director Cecilia Munoz and Republican congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, who is trying to craft a bill that balances the concerns of House Republicans about border security with legal status for the millions of illegal immigrants living in the US.
Mr Gilmore acknowledged the challenge of passing immigration reform in a year when the Congressional midterm elections take place.
“As in every country immigration is a sensitive political issue,” he said. “It is here. This is an election year but in the discussions I have had - yes, it is possible. Will it happen? That really depends on there being a political will for it to happen.”
Referring to the day’s election of new Republican majority leader and whip in the House, Mr Gilmore said: “We will probably need to see how that settles down over the next week or so.”
The Tanaiste said that he also lobbied during his meetings in Washington for a path to legalisation for the undocumented Irish in the US - “people who can’t go home for funerals or for family events, and many of whom have been here for a very long time.”
