Following an agreement signed in Dublin today by Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore, TD, and Canadian immigration minister Jason Kenney, the number of Canadian visas and the time allowed to work abroad is set to double by 2014.
This year, 5,350 Canadian working holiday visas were made available to Irish people aged 18 to 35. This figure will jump to 10,700 in 2014, and the visa will then be valid for two years instead of one.
“This is excellent news because last year only 5,350 Canadian working holiday visas were granted to Irish people, while we would guesstimate by the level of interest we received, the numbers looking for this type of visa would have hit 10,000 people,” said Edwina Shanahan of Visa First.
Shanahan believes that, while Australia offers four times the number of working holiday visas to Irish citizens, the demand to travel to and work in Canada is increasing each year. “Another benefit of the Canada visa programme is that it allows Irish passport holders to apply up to their 36th birthday, which is 5 years more than Australia and New Zealand age limits,” she added.
Image of Canadian flags via Shutterstock
