Long-standing WYSE Travel Confederation member The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) has announced its entry into the Irish student travel market with a new, affordable J-1 visa product, also known as BridgeUSA, set to launch through its new Dublin office.
This initiative represents CIEE’s commitment to providing direct-to-market offerings in Ireland, with introductory fees significantly lower than existing options. In 2025, CIEE plans to expand its offerings to include additional working visa and cultural exchange products for Irish students.
CIEE has outlined three goals for this increased investment in its Irish exchange programs:
1. Increase the number of US high school and US college students who study and work abroad in Ireland.
2. Increase the number of Irish students who participate in exchange programs in the US.
3. Increase the ease and affordability of all exchange programs to allow more students to participate through lower costs and improved student services.
“We know that two of the biggest barriers students face when seeking an international experience are the barriers of cost and the challenge of finding a suitable placement,” said Jim Pellow, President and CEO at CIEE. “Our new model in Ireland is designed to lower those barriers, empowering more students to gain valuable global experience, through affordable pricing and a technology-supported tool to enhance placements for summer exchanges, internships, and trainee programs.”
Introductory J1 visa prices will start at EUR 499 for the J-1 program, allowing more Irish students to gain valuable global experience without the financial strain typically associated with such programs.
To support the new J-1 BridgeUSA program, CIEE has established an operations centre in Dublin with an experienced local team, led by Sheelagh Daly, a seasoned leader with over 20 years’ experience in student travel, who will provide Irish students with direct support and access to cultural exchange programs.
With a well-established presence in Ireland as an inbound program provider for US college students since 2006, CIEE’s expansion into direct-to-market programs for Irish students travelling to the US represents a natural progression. “CIEE has been a proud supporter of international exchange for over 50 years, and we are excited to extend these opportunities directly to Irish students,” said Daly.
Having indirectly hosted Irish J-1 participants in the US for over 50 years, CIEE is dedicated to offering quality cultural exchange programs. Its strong partnerships, including with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs through the Douglass – O’Connell Global Internship Program and the African American Irish Diaspora Network (AAIDN) reinforce CIEE’s commitment to fostering cross-cultural understanding.
For more information on CIEE and its programs, visit www.ciee.org or follow @CIEE_J1USA on Instagram and/or TikTok.
Contact:
Sheelagh Daly
Director of Sales, Ireland, CIEE
sdaly@ciee.org
087 660 9406
About CIEE
Founded in 1947, CIEE is a leader in cultural exchange, committed to fostering global understanding through international education. Initially established as the Council on Student Travel, CIEE has evolved to meet the changing needs of students and the global landscape, hosting over [number] U.S. students in Ireland through its Dublin Outbound Centre since 2006. CIEE’s offerings include study abroad programs at Trinity, DCU, and UCD, internships, high school programs, and faculty-led experiences. For over seven decades, CIEE has helped students and institutions alike value the importance of intercultural understanding and collaboration.