Irish student on US visa dies after jumping off pier
August 27 2009 by Rebekah Nahai
Chicago attracts Irish US visa holders
A young Irish man living in Chicago for the summer on a US visa was killed after jumping off a Lake Michigan pier and injuring his head and spine.
Keith O’Reilly, in the US on a J-1 visa, went out to watch the sunrise with friends after a night out drinking when the incident occurred.
He was one of the thousands of Irish students who flock to Chicago each summer on US visas for seasonal workers to experience the city’s Irish hospitality.
O’Reilly’s friends and other members of the Chicago community of ‘J-1ers’, as they are called, put on a fundraiser to cover travel costs for the man’s family and transport his body back to Ireland.
Last year, 9,210 students travelled to the US on J-1 visas, which allow them to work in temporary or seasonal jobs. Job and housing assistance is not provided for those who make the trip without a sponsor. The US Department of State advises students that, due to the poor economy, "you should be prepared to live on your savings until your return home".
Critics say O’Reilly’s death has highlighted the lack of support system in place for J-1 visa holders.
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