For Irish men and women planning to move and find employment in Canada, 2015 is your year. According to reports, many Canadian employers are keen on hiring Irish residents to fill 10,000 job vacancies in the North American country. And according to migration specialists, those job vacancies are likely to be filled immediately.
Canada’s Working Holiday Visa programme is set to open in the coming weeks, offering 10,000 spots to interested Irish workers. Edwina Shanahan, manager at VisaFirst, described the 2015 quota as similar to “Frozen dolls at Christmas,” saying that it is expected to attract more interest than last year’s quota.
“We believe this year’s visas will be akin to Frozen dolls at Christmas – and I think most people will understand the buying frenzy that occurred around these,” Shanahan was quoted as saying.
Shanahan also encouraged Irish residents to act now if they want to work in Canada because this excellent opportunity might not come again next year. According to her, there have been reports that the Canadian Immigration will reduce the number of visas for the working holiday program in 2016.
With the International Experience Class (IEC) Working Holiday Visa programme opening over the next few weeks, interested applicants are encouraged to prepare all documentation now. According to VisaFirst, applicants who were given places in the first and second quota roll out in 2014 were given three months to prepare all the necessary documents for the work permit application. This year, however, applicants will be given only one to two weeks. Because of the short time frame, it would be in their best interest to make the necessary preparations as soon as possible.
“The 2014 Canadian working holiday quota for Irish applicants was issued in two stages, the first quota was filled within 15 minutes and the second quota was filled within a half hour. Because of the smaller timelines involved, we are stressing the need to have this documentation ready in advance – we can assist with the preparation and lodgement of these files,” said Shanahan.
Meanwhile, in New Zealand, there is also a huge demand for Irish scaffolders, carpenters, plumbers, and mechanics. Over the last few years, the number of Irish workers bound for New Zealand has grown significantly. Bricklayers, carpenters, and other skilled workers from Ireland and elsewhere are considered indispensable and highly sought after in the country, which is why it isn’t surprising that many Irish people are seeking greener pastures in New Zealand.