I'm from the US and want to live/work in Ireland, any advice on where to begin?

Question

I'm 23 and really want to go to Ireland to travel/live/work. What do I need to do? I have no idea how things work over there as far as housing/jobs, etc, especially since I'll be coming from the US. I don't have a set city/county I want to go to, I'd like to travel around all over eventually when I get there but as far as where to initially live and work I have no idea what's best. I'd prefer to be somewhere with more of the "traditional" Irish culture rather than a crazy New York City type atmosphere.

I've also heard the wages are really low in Ireland so I don't know where that would put me either. I don't need to make crazy money, maybe just enough to live and go out now and then/travel. I don't have a ton of experience in any specific field, I like to try/learn/experience new things so I'm not too picky about jobs and am pretty open minded.

Any help would be great, thanks!

Also, I'm not a student so I don't qualify for any of the student programs.

Answer 1

Hi assuming you are not a student and looking to come here you can follow a few routes - none of the especially easy though as the immigration process has become more focused on screening out non-EU immigrants (even short term ones) over the last 3 or 4 years

1. Work permit - you need to have a job already from an Irish employer who can demonstrate that they could not find the same skills in the EU (that's 460 million people by the way rising to 490 million in January when 2 new states join). This means advertising in newspapers, using state job search agencies etc. In practice it is only for very niche skills or very highly valuable skills - brain surgeons, nuclear physicists, tunnelling machine operators etc. Also you are tied to the sponsoring employer and cannot switch jobs.

2. Working visa - easier as you can switch employers and it's about demonstrating employability. However in practice you tend to require high skills (university degree preferably Masters or Doctorate and/or strong experience) and a job offer for when you land.

3. Student visa - you can come to Ireland to do a course, these tend to be third level college courses or english language skills, also some shorter high tech private courses. You need to be able to demonstrate that you can support yourself financially and be sponsored by the course provider. You can however work part time (up to 20 hrs per week I think) while studying. To be honest this is pretty heavily abused especially by the Asian community particularly those from China but a blind eye is turned as most people pay their fees money into the economy, help fill low skilled jobs part time for a year and then leave in an orderly fashion no harm done.

4. Ethnic cuisine - if you belong to an ethnic group especially Indian or Chinese you may be able to come in under the auspices of a restaurant needing ethnic staff. We like our food and as the country becomes more ethnically diverse the range gets better and better.

These are the best routes, of course as a US citizen you could just come in on a tourist visa waiver and look for pub/restaurant or other casual work illegally but that is getting harder an dharder to find and the wages are less and less attractive as these roles are filled by legal migrants from the eastern EU states. Good english would give you and advantage but not that much. Penalties for employers of illegals are high and you might find you can't get into any European country in the future if you are caught .

My advice would be aim at option 3, find a course (if you're aiming for the outside of Dublin more relaxed feel , try some of the regional Institutes of Technology, these are good, legitimate, state sponsored colleges), learn and work at the same time.
Location wise I think you'd probably like Galway, nice small city and well positioned to visit the western seaboard as well as being able to catch a quick direct train to Dublin. Other good spots for the relaxed Ireland feel are Sligo, Limerick, Waterford or Cork.

Answer 2

Without a company to sponsor you or student status, not sure as an American you will be able to legally. How much is it worth to you? You could enroll in a few classes at a local community college (most are $50-$75 per credit hour) to get the necessary paperwork then get a visa through:
http://www.bunac.org/usa/ireland

Requirements are: letter with registrar's signature stating that you are taking at least 8 credits for the semester of eligibility. Here's the trick...enroll in classes and pay, get the proof of enrollment form from the registrar, then withdraw from classes and get a refund of tuition. Send the proof of enrollment form to Bunac to get your visa. Also apply for a visa to Britain to start upon the expiration of the Irish one. Make sure you get an ISIC card and check great flight deals thru STA travel.

Ireland is the only country I ever had a hard time finding work in though. There seemed to be a real backlash against anyone who was not Irish working there, and since American visas are only for 4 months it can be hard to find someone who only wants you that long. Best bet is pub or restaurant work. For a small truly Irish town, try Cork. For a nice small town a bit more touristy, try Galway.

Answer 3

You will have to get a work visa first. There are programs available through ISIC, or at least were back when I was your age (which I swear wasn't that long ago). If they don't offer them, they can point you in the right direction. Keep in mind, a work visa will require you to have a employer-sponsor, so you won't get to travel around to choose where you work so much.

Another thing you can do is backpack around. I knew lots of people who would backpack to spots, volunteer to work for the hostel where they stayed for a while, and then would move on. It's a tough thing to count on, but it can and has most definitely been done. I lived in Ireland for several years in my twenties. I worked under the table as a waitress off and on throughout that time (I had a student visa, not a worker visa). I was an illegal alien!!! Yikes! But it was an easy gig to get, especially because I was a cute American girl who had waited tables before.

Good luck, definitely give it a try, and have a pint for me!

Answer 4

Don't spend an excessive amount of time on the pubs and overlook your reviews. Also, do not spend an excessive amount of time learning that you just omit the cultural enjoy. Try to befriend persons from different nations. Don't simply hang around with different Americans in view that it's cozy. On a few weekends, attempt to take a bus or teach experience for an afternoon travel to look the nation. Don't wait till the tip of the university time period to look the land. The finish of the semester can be busier than the establishing of the semester.

Answer 5

Hi, well to start with you need your head examined! Irland,,,
It's a whole lot different to the US, they talk funny, it's WET n Cold, they like to fight, They like to come to England to get away from it all.
All that out of the way, You'll need to get in touch with the Irish embassy requesting a working visa, not sure which state in USA but there's one in Dublin Irland. ( www. xx?x?xx. gov.uk) not sure what.
Have a CV ready made PLENTY copies as you need one for every job application, have a good idea of type of work you want, anything like US, you will be looking for a new job every couple of weeks, simply because your a foreigner! Unless your really drop lucky.
My best advice save, take a vacation there first to look around then return with a more positive view of what you want from your final venture & move.

Hope it helps! By the way the visa & or passport stamp for residence can cost as much as $600, as My wifes does...

Answer 6

Hello,
I'm sorry if I'm disappointing. But I don't have an answer. I'm actually contacting you because I have the same question. I'm 25 and I also live in the U.S and want to move to Ireland. Could you let me know if you find anything out? [e-mail]

Answer 7

I just gave Jenny H some advice!! Read what I wrote for her. The same would apply to you!

Good luck!

Answer 8

see a therapist