Season & deadlines
Summer season
May 15 – September 15
Typically 8–12 weeks of work in June–August (up to 4 months on the DS-2019) + a 30-day grace period to travel after.
Booking deadline
The Irish cycle runs nearly a year ahead: bookings open September–November with early-bird deals ('book before Christmas'), in-person hiring fairs with US employers happen in Dublin in January, and job confirmations close around March. Final-year students: note the separate 12-month Graduate Visa below before you book the summer J1.