İrlanda'da Çalışma ve Eğitim

I can say that it is easier to find a job in Ireland, as there is an economic boom here. They are building everywhere, Ireland is getting richer and richer by foreign investment. Many American companies have preferred Ireland to base their European operations, and so they needed lots of personnel as well. I see lots of European and non-European immigrants in Dublin, and Eastern European people in every corner. But let me eloborate if this is a good place to live and what is the perception of locals about immigrants.

Being and immigrant in Ireland

Irish people are very warm people indeed. You wont have much trouble to chat with them, they are easy going though you are a foreigner. I would say they are much warmer and accepting than English people. You are less "other" here in Ireland. However, people talk about a distinction between Dublin and other cities. Being a metropolitan and busy city, Dublin hosts a variety of nationalities and less typical Irish people. Irish people in Dublin are more reserved than the other cities. Maybe, Dubliners have been less ready to accept all these immigrants and someway have not developed a certain way of treatment towards immigrants. Therefore, someway I feel a bit hesitancy in Irish dubliners to completely accept immigrants among themselves. But just a simple observation; I am able to see lots of peer groups or couples which have got Irish and immigrant parties.

And I should also note that Dublin is a small city where you can easily see your friends or colleagues coincidently in the streets... They say Dublin is too expensive, though I dont agree completely as I remember my stay in the UK where I was paying 400 pound for flatshare, here I pay 450 euro for an old (though not so clean) studio flat. But it is also a fact that Dublin was not ready to host all these newcomers; most of the houses are quite old and you have to pay a fortune to stay in a modern flat... But if you are a couple, you can afford renting a decent flat for 2 people by paying 1200 euro.

One of the most annoying things, for me being a non-EU, has been immigration procedures. I got my Work Permit and then Entry Clearance in London and came to Ireland. My photo was taken at the airport in a height-scaled wall, I felt like a criminal! Anyway the officer was kind but I didnt feel like a celebrity as well! Then I had to go to GARDA (Police) to get my residence card and my photo was taken and was interrogated a bit and got it for one year. Then I went to Tax office to get PPS (tax registration number), and again interrogated for my WP document and got it in one week. Then I was also told, I need to get a multi-entry visa if I will leave-come back Ireland!!! That is what I totally didnt understand, because now I had to go to Garda office at 5-6 am to queu for 4-5 hours to pay 100 euro to get visa again!! 3 pages in my passport were already full with their stamps (Entry Visa from Irish embassy in london, Stamp of Immig offic at airport and then Garda leave to remain stamp) and now 4. page was filled with a multientry visa! I guess Irish authorities havent noticed that they alienate those skilled people more and more by making unnecessary procedures. I am sure many immigrants feel alienated more and reminded that they are a `foreigner`!

One guy in www.immigrationboards.com was telling that Ireland seems to want foreigners to help the economy, but is also wary of them. Especially so, if you do not look 'EU". Anyway, they plan to introduce Biometric IDs for foreign nationals, with fingerprints in it. So, your biodata will not be distinct from their Criminal database. Check out the Minitry of Justice, Immigration Departments' website...on the proposals + whitepapers. The long queues at the Garda HQ in Dublin..well, I have seen it. Some of the staff there are an unpleasant lot, though you do find many decent ones. My advise, if you have a chance to work in UK, France, USA, Canada or even Germany, go for it. These countries have a mature outlook towards foreigners or immigration." Yeah, this is his point of view, judge it yourself ;-)

Current affairs can be read on the newspaper webiste www.unison.ie and accomodation can be found on www.daft.ie . Also, www.movetoireland.com can help with the questions of bank accounts, tax, driving licences.....general living in Ireland day to day details. The Immigrant Council which provides a free information and legal advice service Irish Immigrant Council might also be helpful to pursue for your immigrant rights.

Work in Ireland

Working in Ireland can be quite easy or very difficult depending on what your individual situation is. The easiest route would be if you have an Irish spouse, parent or grandparent (and sometimes great-grandparent) If so, you could apply for Irish citizenship through your connection to them and be free to come over as you wish. Alternatively, if you have a similiar connection to any other EU country, as all EU nationals are free to move/work/live throughout the EU without any further hassle or permission. Check out the Dept of Justice here in Ireland at www.justice.ie . They handle citizenship.

If not, your options would be either a Work Authorization (WA) or a Work Permit(WP). Both are legal permissions to work in Ireland but vary in their regulations. Assuming that you are a citizen from the States, you don't need a visa. The WA is given to a very select group of the workforce that the Irish government feel is lacking here in Ireland. It is applied for and paid in your home country embassy before you come over. I think that basically all you need is a valid job offer from an Irish employer. It is available only to certain 'job descriptions' that are listed by the Irish government. Currently, the list includes Dr, nurses, town planners, engineers, architects, and some IT. It is valid for 2 years and can be renewed. The important factor (or what I believe to be the clincher) is that you can move throughout the work force anywhere in Ireland on a WA as long as you stay in the same sector of work (ie: a engineer in Dublin can move to a engineering position in Waterford). You cannot do this on a Work Permit (WP). Check out all on WP The Dept of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Irish Work Authorization scheme

There is a program set up for non-EU people who are specialized in an area of the workforce that is particularily understaffed here (IT professionals, Dr, nurses, engineers...) called the Work Authorization scheme. Basically, you get a job offer from a legitimate Irish employer, apply for a Work Authorization in your home country from the Irish consulate/embassy, pay your fee and you can come over. You need:

• A completed application form;
• a job offer and contract from an employer in Ireland corresponding to the designated skills category in which he/she claims to be qualified, stating the starting date and pay and quoting the employer's Registered Number for Tax Purposes and the applicant's passport number; (NB: The employee must be directly employed and salaried by the employer in Ireland. Job offers from recruitment agencies, agents, intermediaries or companies who intend to outsource the employee to another company will not be acceptable under the scheme)
• a passport valid at least until the expiration date of the relevant Working Visa or Work Authorisation;
• two photographs
• a visa application fee of €100 or equivalent (not charged in the case of a number of nationalities) or a Work Authorisation application fee of €50 or equivalent
• the original copy of the applicants’ relevant qualifications. NB: only qualifications that have been awarded by a recognised third level institution will be accepted under the Work Authorisation or Working Visa scheme.
Information and Computing Technologies:
ICT Professionals:
• applicants must have the minimum of a degree in the Information and Computing Technology field from a recognized third level institution.
ICT Technicians:
• applicants must have the minimum of a diploma in the Information and Computing Technology field from a recognized third level institution.
The following will not be sufficient:
• work experience in that field.
• qualifications from bodies such as Microsoft, Cisco, IBM, etc.
Construction Professionals:
Architect:
• applicants require the minimum of a degree in architecture.
Architect Technician/Technologist:
applicants require the minimum of a diploma in Architectural Technology or equivalent.Construction Engineers:
• this generally relates to civil engineering and applicants require the minimum of a degree in civil engineering.
Note: Applications maybe considered in respect of other engineering categories such as mechanical or electrical engineers only where the job offered is part of a clearly defined construction project.
Engineering Technician:
• applicants require the minimum of a diploma in Civil Engineering Technology or equivalent.
Quantity Surveyor:
• applicants require the minimum of a degree in Quantity Surveying.
Building Surveyor:
• applicants require the minimum of a degree in Building Surveying.
Town Planners:
• applicants require the minimum of a degree in Town Planning.

Some rules: To be considered for the Information Computer Technology route, you must have a minimun of a degree (to be an ICT Professional) or a diploma (to be an ICT Tech) from a recognized 3rd level institution, just having work experience or a qualification from Microsoft or IBM won't cut it. You can work up to 2 years on WA and have mobility within the Irish market & can change employers as long as you stay within the same sector of work (ie working as a IT professional in Dublin and moving to work as an IT professional in Cork.)

Your spouse/children can come over once you have gotten the WA, only after you have been here 3+ months. You must be able to prove that you are in legal employment & are able to support your family. If your wife would like to work, she can get a Work Permit. Depending on what type of WA you have (what job category you are in), she may be able to avail of a more easier route for the Work Permit (she wouldn't have to have her job advertized by FAS, she could get a permit in a category that would otherwise be ineligible for a permit and be exempt from the fee). This is only offered to spouses to WA holders on specific WA categories.

All will be revealed on the Dept of Enterprise, Trade and Employment website at www.entemp.ie. click on International Workers, then onto Fast-track Work Authorization and you can download an info packet there. I haven't heard of age or nationality being a problem with this route, I think it's basically the skills that are important here.

Well, as you are not a EU citizen, you can get either a work authorization (or work visa, if you are from a visa-requiring country) or a work permit. The work authorization is the better option as it is more easily accessed & has fewer rules/regulations atttached, but you must be in a very select career group to apply:

I'd advise you get your documents (both yours and your wife) sorted out, have everything ready well beforehand. Contact the Irish embassy with your specific questions and your personal situation in order to get a proper understanding of what your legal options are for moving over here. You don't want to miss out on any new regulations &/or rules that may have introduced that are not on the website yet.


Irish Work Permit

A Work Permit (WP) is much more difficult to get: - First you have to get an Irish employer to offer you a job and to apply for the WP for you (you cannot apply on your own behalf). - The job that is open must first be offered to everyone in Ireland, then the EU before it can be offered to you. The employer does this by registering the vacancy with FAS (the Irish employment people) for 4 weeks so that every eligible Irish citizen and every eligible EU citizen has a chance to get the job before you. This is to ensure that non-nationals are not being brought into the country to work when an available Irish/EU person can do the job instead. - Once no other person in the entire country/EU has applied for the job opening, it can then be offered to you. - The employer submits an application form & pays for the permit (currently 500.00 Euro per year) - It takes 8-10 weeks for the application to be processed and you cannot work while you are waiting. - The permit will be sent to your employer, you must then present yourself with the permit to the immigration department at your local Garda station or at the national immigration dept in Dublin to have you details listed, passport stamped and you get a small, immigration id card (credit card size). It is vital that you register with the Garda when you arrive as you need the passport stamp to renew your passport next year. - You cannot change jobs on the same WP as one permit is given for your name per employer. If you want to change jobs, you must get a new permit for that new employer. - All correspondence regarding your WP is between your employer and the government. Check out all above on the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment It has been announced recently that a new immigration department will be introduced in Ireland to deal with all issues of work permits/authorizations, citizenship, asylum etc called the Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service (INIS) but I'm not sure when that is offically starting. So, right now, all work pemit info is on the DETE website and citizenship/naturalization is on www.justice.ie

For naturalisation, applying for citizenship, you need to work for 4 years as a work permit or work authorisation holder. You make an application and wait about 2 years for the outcome, as I heard there are only a few people working on naturalisation applications in the Irish department.

Irish citizenship through your grandparents : You can get Irish citizenship through your grandparents. Check out www.oasis.gov.ie (The Irish government info website) for details. Click on 'Moving Country' link, then 'Migration & Citizenship' then Irish Citizenship through Birth or Descent' for full directions. You will have to register your birth in the Foreign Births Register to move forward. Check out the local Irish embassy/consulate in your home province or the head office/embassy. Give them your details and I'm sure they will be able to direct you to the formal procedures you have to go through (documents needed, timeframe it takes to process.....)


Study in Ireland

Studying in Ireland would be a good idea and have pluses and minuses. Pluses : English speaking environment, more chances to stay as Irish employment market is quite good, cheap living in other cities than dublin, reputable universites, warmer people around. Minuses : whethear!, a nice Irish accent!, expensive living in Dublin, expensive tuition fees...

Frankly speaking, since I dont have a specific experience in studying in Ireland, I would only give you List of universities in the Republic of Ireland. But, you might also consider some part-time courses apart from a full-time expensive courses; check Night Courses which gives you hundreds of courses which are affordable and less time consuming; you can even get a good degree with them while you are working here ;-)