IRELAND - Working Holiday Visa or... ATTN: MariaLear, others

Hi,

Great forum.

This is my situation:

- I'm 23.
- Canadian citizen and resident.
- Not eligible for Irish citizenship by ancestry...or for any EU country.
- I'm able to do a 12 month Working Holiday Visa.

- In fact, I already did a STUDENT Working Holiday Visa (I am also able to do a NON-STUDENT WHV...but that's a once in a lifetime thing.)

- I was in the Republic of Ireland for about 9 months
...May 2005-February 2006.

- Worked in a hostel in County Wicklow...for about 7 of the 9 months I was in Ireland.

- The reason I want to return is because I spent most of my time in Wicklow and want to spend more time actually traveling around...

HOWEVER, I've become confused with all the different visas and all the new restrictions...

Right now, I have no chance of getting a Work Authorisation. I know that for sure.

- Do I even have a chance at a Work Permit? I work in the Radio Broadcasting Industry (I didn't see that field listed in the not-eligible list of occupations for the WP...but maybe I missed it?) I know they have to give EU/EEA citizens preference... could I technically pay an employee the 500Euro fee and then they'd fill out all the forms and pass off the fee as their own or are you expected to pay the fee yourself anyway and get the employer to do the rest?

- Unfortunately, people on Working Holiday Visas can no longer just switch to a Work Permit...that's as of June 2006... so that's out...

- Would it be possible to just go in as a tourist (90 days)...then apply for an additional 90 day extension...then exit after that was up..and then RE-ENTER and keep doing that over and over..so as to maximize my time as a tourist...I'd have lots of money saved up. I would not work illegally.

I'll either try the tourist route or the WHV or WP route...or maybe a WHV first...and then leave, re-enter and try to get a WP...I'd love to stay more than 1 year...

IN OTHER WORDS, MY GOAL IS TO STAY IN IRELAND AS LONG AS IS LEGALLY POSSIBLE...

the only way you can get a workpermit is throught the employer. if the employer does not want to apply the work permit on balf of you. you will have no chance too get one yourself. about the 500 euro fees. by law, the employer has to pay for it. if the employer charge you for the 500 work permit application fees, it is illegal, but i have heard some people get charge for that anyway.

the best thing i think you can do is get a job in your industry and get the company to apply for the work permit for you!

good luck

Dan01 wrote:Hi,

Great forum.

This is my situation:

- I'm 23.
- Canadian citizen and resident.
- Not eligible for Irish citizenship by ancestry...or for any EU country.
- I'm able to do a 12 month Working Holiday Visa.

- In fact, I already did a STUDENT Working Holiday Visa (I am also able to do a NON-STUDENT WHV...but that's a once in a lifetime thing.)

- I was in the Republic of Ireland for about 9 months
...May 2005-February 2006.

- Worked in a hostel in County Wicklow...for about 7 of the 9 months I was in Ireland.

Why not get a United Kingdom working holiday visa and go to Northern Ireland?

Hi fellow Canadian,

Just read your post now, yeah, it's a bitch alright with all the rules and regulations. Sounds like your options are either the Working Holiday Visa (WHV) (but like you said it's for a defined amount of time & you are supposed to leave afterwords) or the Work Permit (WP) route.

What if you came over on a WHV and while here checked out your options and job market for a WP job in future? If you could get a job in radio broadcasting while on the WHV and then get the employer to apply for the WP so you could return? It would mean a lot of annoying paperwork and hopefully good timing but it could work? That's terrible that you can't switch from a WHV to a WP, I didn't know that.

Sorry, I can't be of more help. I don't have any personal experience of the WHV so I can't really advise. The option of working up North is also a possibility as JAJ mentioned but then you would be confined to working there, but it is only a hop-skip & a jump to travel down here for visits & potential networking for a future Irish job. Have you contacted any Irish radio places and asked about their work placements, job availability and how often vacancies arise?

Keep at it, investigate all you can, there might be a way yet. Chin up.

Regards, Maria (Go Leafs Go!)

Hi Maria,

Thanks to you, mtksoi, JAJ for your replies.

I suppose going for the WHV...doing the 1 year thing and trying to get a Work Permit during that time might be the way to go. Presumably I'd have to leave the country when the WHV expires (or just stay there but not be allowed to work??)...and then re-enter for the WP (assuming I even get one)...

I suppose it's easier for those who have been in Ireland before 2004 and the POPULATION EXPLOSION to keep renewing their visas..since they would build up a relationship with their employer over the time...I'm guessing it's easy to renew the work permit once you get that first one...or do they have to 'prove' you're the 'only one' who can do the job each and every time???...

anyway, obviously the government of the Republic grossly underestimated the number of people from the new EU states who would be coming into the country...which makes it harder for us poor Non-EU souls...

Would it be technically illegal if an employee pays the work permit fee to an employer and that employer then tries to pass it off as their own money, along with the various forms they have to deal with??

If an employer doesn't have to worry about using their own money...I don't see why a few forms and all the red tape would be a big deal for them...

Any ideas?

Hi Dan

I'm a non-EEA national working in Ireland on a WP. My husband holds a Work Authorisation and he is also working in the TV/Radio Broadcasting Industry. I guess it depends on your job description. If you work in the technical field of the broadcast industry you should be able to get a WA under the ICT Technician skills category, providing you have a 3rd level qualification in the field. It is definitely the most desired permission to have when working in Ireland because it is VERY easy to renew, valid for 2 years and you can switch employers.

As for the WP option - not being a current resident in Ireland will count against you as EEA nationals and non-EEA nationals currently residing in Ireland gets preference. However, if you can manage to come over on a WHV and then secure a job, chances are much better that you'd get a WP. As far as the 500 fee goes - of course it is illegal for the employee to pay that, but every company has a petty cash box or a manager who would be more than happy to take the cash and then issue a cheque 'in the legal way'. I find that a lot of deals get done in Ireland by way of the 'brown envelope under the table'.

Good luck and don't give up hope.