Efforts are under way at the US Embassy in Dublin to try to resolve difficulties some students have experienced securing J1 visas.

About 100 students have been informed by the Travel Bug agency in Mayo that it may not be able to provide them with the documentation required for the summer work visa.

A spokesperson for the embassy said that they were now working with other sponsor agencies to see if the young people could be accommodated elsewhere.

The Embassy has also committed to fast-tracking the visa collection process for those students who do manage to secure the required paperwork.

In a statement, the spokesperson said earlier this week the team had become "aware of issues involving the processing of applications for dozens of Irish students who applied for the J1 Summer Work and Travel (SWT) program with Travel Bug Ltd and their independent US program sponsor, American Work Adventures.

“We are engaging with a number of independent US sponsors to ensure that affected Irish students who are eligible and qualified to participate in the J1 program this year have every opportunity to do so".

The Embassy staff will continue their efforts over the weekend to try to find a resolution for the affected students.

In a change to previous years, students wishing to travel to the US on a J1 visa in 2016 were required to apply to a sponsor agency and secure a job in advance of applying for a visa directly to the Embassy.

Upon confirmation of a job, the agency then issued students with a DS-2019 form which allowed them to apply to the Embassy and schedule an interview appointment for the J1 visa.

To accommodate those students who have encountered problems but who do manage to secure the DS-2019 form at this stage and who may be wishing to travel to the US shortly, the Embassy has said it will fast track their applications.

To assist them, the Embassy said that all Irish J1 summer students who apply for visas between 23 May and 17 June, and whose visas are approved, will be permitted to collect their passports from the US Embassy in Ballsbridge within two working days.

Travel Bug in Mayo is the local Irish partner for the US programme sponsor American Work Adventures, which is overseeing the J1 programme for the US State Department.