To be a program participant in the IPPCTP, a person must:

Be between 18 and 35 years of age; and

Have been physically resident in Northern Ireland or one of the border counties for at least five months prior to the date of certification; and

Meet United States immigration/visa requirements, including being in receipt of a job offer certified by the Program Administrator, and able to demonstrate satisfactorily to a Consular Officer that he/she has a residence abroad that he/she has no intention of abandoning; and

Be unemployed for at least 3 months, or have completed or currently be enrolled in a training/program sponsored by T&EA or FAS, or by other such publicly funded programs, or have been made redundant in their employment (i.e., lost his/her job) or have received a notice of redundancy (termination of employment); or

Be a currently employed person whose employer has at least 90 days (unless otherwise authorized) of employment relationship with that person, whose nomination is in writing and contains the following: the employer in the United States, the length and type of occupational training contemplated, a justification for why the length of stay requested is necessary, and the benefits to the nominee and the nominator, including a job offer for the participant upon return to Northern Ireland or Ireland; provided, however, that the Program Administrator may waive the requirements of at least 90 days of employment and for a job offer upon return from a sponsor that is a Northern Ireland institution of further or higher learning for a student in that institution who needs on the job experience to qualify for a degree or certificate from the institution.

Has read, understood, and signed a “participant code of conduct” prepared by the Program Administrator in consultation with the Department of State and the Immigration and Naturalization Service and with FAS and T & EA; obtains and maintains adequate, continuous health insurance; is expected to remain with his or her original or other approved employer; and is expected to depart the United States promptly upon termination of participation in the program.

A participant who has been terminated from the program may apply to the Program Administrator for reinstatement, except in the following cases: termination of approved employment for cause, knowingly or willfully failed to obtain or maintain the required adequate and continuous health insurance, engaged in unapproved employment, or has been outside the United States in excess of three consecutive months. In any such case the physical residence requirement may be waived for participants who have been admitted to the United States for the program, and personal and professional development training previously completed need not be repeated; however, all other application requirements for a participant do apply, and the Program Administrator, with the approval of the Department of State in consultation with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and upon being satisfied that reinstatement serves the purpose of the program, may issue a new or amended certification letter.