TEN THOUSAND CANADIAN working holiday visas are expected to sell out in Ireland within a day or two.
Last year’s allocation of 6,350 visas were snapped up in just 48 hours. This year’s potential jump could mean Canada outstrips Australia as the top destination for emigrants.
The sluggish recovery of Ireland’s economy means Irish people are now looking to Canada as a solution, and equally Canadian firms are looking to Ireland as a fix to a huge demand for skilled workers.
Moving2Canada is a recruitment company that finds tradespeople for Canadian companies. They specify how they target Irish workers on their site :
We believe that sourcing high-quality international talent is a strong solution to labour shortages in Canada. We seek out highly skilled and educated workers from overseas, including Ireland
The company describes Irish people as “a fundamental part of economic and social life in Canada”.
Moving2Canada even set up a dedicated Irish Canadian Immigration Centre in January of 2012 “to assist in meeting the needs of newly arrived Irish newcomers to Canada”.
From consular assistance (for example, if you lose your passport) to simply where one might buy a bag of Tayto and some Barry’s tea
VisaFirst says they have seen a rise in the numbers of people moving west and predict even further jumps over the next two years.
Over the last two years we have seen significant increases in the number of working holiday visa grants to Irish workers going to Canada – from 3,500 in 2012, to 6,500 in 2013 to 10,000 which have been confirmed for 2014. Our estimate forecast would be that this could rise to 15,000 in 2015.
The firs believes there are a variety of reasons why Canada is overtaking Australia in the popularity stakes, one of which is the fact that the Canadian working holiday visa can be held for two years as opposed to just one for New Zealand or Australia.
The working holiday visa to Canada also allows applicants to bring dependents.
Calgary Economic Development (CED) is a Canadian government agency dedicated to supporting the economy in the city of Calgary, Alberta.
Last year, CED led a party of Canadian firms to a jobs fair in Dublin called Working Abroad Expo.
Their workforce manager is Jeanette Sutherland and she told the BBC that the team “were all quite shocked with the turnout”.
Over the course of three events, there were 14,000 people who attended. When the door opened the first day, there was a line-up around the field.
Sutherland said Ireland is “a ripe recruiting ground”, with an abundance of qualified and experienced tradespeople.
Alberta has a jobless rate of just 4.3 per cent compared to Ireland’s 13.3 per cent, Jeanette says this makes the situation “win-win right now”.
The Goverment of Canada will provide 24-72 hours notice as to the opening date of the Visas. They are available to Irish citizens under 35 years of age.
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