New Zealand and Canada chasing Irish workers

New Zealand is seeking out Irish construction workers, while Canada is set to issue up to 10,000 working holiday visas to Irish citizens over the course of 2015.

Migration specialists VisaFirst.com, which said that around 20,000 Irish citizens have moved to New Zealand in the past five years, revealed the country was looking to Ireland to fill positions in the undermanned construction sector.

The company said that in the region of 18,000 Irish workers had relocated to New Zealand since 2011 but between 4,000 and 5,000 were likely to leave over the course of the year, meaning a large number of jobs would become available.

Statistics New Zealand has gone on record as saying Irish workers such as bricklayers, joiners and carpenters topped employers’ most wanted lists, with many considering them “indispensable migrants”. There are also a number of opportunities available in scaffolding and plumbing.

Meanwhile, VisaFirst also revealed that Canada’s IEC (International Experience Class) Working Holiday Visa programme for 2015 would launch in the coming weeks and has set aside 10,000 visas for Irish citizens.

Manager Edwina Shanahan said the Canadian visas were particularly popular and were expected to be snapped up almost immediately this year. She explained that there was always a mad rush for the visa programme but that this year could be even more frantic than normal as Canada’s Immigration Ministry was considering reducing the number of working holiday visas offered in 2016.