?Lost Generation? of 5,000 people will not return from Canada

Since the start of the recession, nearly 5,000 emigrants from Ireland have settled in Canada permanently according to recent figures from the Sunday Independent.

The latest data released by the Canadian Department of Citizenship and Immigration shows coincides with Irish visa trends which suggest that emigrants are being more thoughtful about moving abroad and are tending to increase their stay in Canada.

Some 3,200 Irish nationals have gained permanent residence status in Canada over the last six years and more than 1,500 have become official citizens of the country.

Recent figures indicate a decline in Irish emigration figures, yet despite this, the ‘lost generation’ are not showing any signs of returning. The amount of Irish deciding to become permanent residents of Canada has increased dramatically to 1,015 in 2013 from 395 in 2009. This trend in Canadian citizenship is expected to continue.

Visa First’s marketing manager, Edwina Shanahan, said that since 10,000 Canadian working visa were made available to Irish citizens at the beginning of this year, there has been considerable rise in interest in further stay visas. She went on to say that Canada is becoming more a more viable option than Australia for long stay visas. Since the recession hit, around 22,000 Irish have moved to Australia permanently.