Job-seekers in Ireland looking to snap up 10,000 Canadian work permits

It may not be making major headlines in Canada, but tomorrow is a day that will be met with great anticipation by thousands of Irish job seekers looking to visit to the Great White North.

On Thursday, the Department of Citizenship and Immigration will make available working holiday permits to young men and women in Ireland, where last year job seekers snatched up a full year’s worth of Canadian work permits in a matter of 48 hours.

The permits are part of the International Experience Canada program, which provides visas for young nationals from partner countries interested in travelling to Canada on a temporary basis.

The program is anticipated nowhere more than in Ireland, where demand for such permits has in the past vastly outweighed its increased supply. The U.K., for example, received just over 5,000 permits this year, while Ireland will receive a total of 10,700.

Some 3,000 visas for young professionals with job offers and internships became available on Tuesday. But applications for the more anticipated "working holiday" permits will start being accepted on Thursday.

This year, there will be a total of 7,700 working permits made available. Half of those will be available now and the other half will be held for another time. If that seems particularly cautious, there's a reason. Last year, Ireland's entire quota of 6,350 “working holiday” permits was snapped up in just over two days.

That was an increase of the 5,350 permits available in 2012, which took five months to be claimed.

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The spike in Irish workers coming to Canada through the program was said to be part of an Irish brain drain caused by its economic collapse in 2008. The country has managed to turn its fortunes around in recent years, but that has had little impact on the high number of educated, but underemployed, Irish youths looking for work in countries such as Canada and Australia.

Despite the economic turnaround, Canada's visa program remains to topmost topic of conversation in Ireland.

Last week, when the Canadian Department of Immigration announced changes to its program, the Irish Times newspaper published an extensive explainer.

The Irish Examiner also reported on the Canadian "working holiday" permits, pointing to several key benefits it holds over similar programs in Australia and New Zealand. Most notably, the Canadian permits are available for applicants up to 35 years of age, and permit them to be accompanied by dependents.

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Canada has a history of turning to Ireland to fill job vacancies. Last year, the B.C. Construction Association sent representatives to Ireland to recruit 600 workers. The Examiner reported that a chain of salons in Alberta is recruiting 80 Irish hairdressers. Saskatchewan's premier also visited to country in recent years to promote the need for skilled workers in that province.

The International Experience Canada program is an interesting program. It was originally intended as a cultural exchange program between Canada and other countries but has melded in recent years to be more job-focused.

Participants are free to remain in Canada for two years and, should they obtain full employment at that time, they are on the path to obtaining a more permanent status.

For thousands of Irish job-seekers, that path starts on tomorrow.

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