Ireland Working Holiday Visa
The Ireland Working Holiday Visa is intended for young people from certain countries who want to come to Ireland to work temporarily for up to 12 or 24 months. Only citizens of 10 countries Ireland has agreements with are eligible to apply.
Call our lawyers at +1 844 290 6312 to receive assistance with submitting your application.
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What is the Ireland Working Holiday Visa?
The Ireland Working Holiday Visa allows young people to come to Ireland for periods longer than an Irish Tourist visa will allow. Under this Irish visa, foreign nationals who are from a country that maintains a Working Holiday Agreement with Ireland and come to Ireland where they can work and visit for longer periods of stay. Foreign nationals from the following countries are eligible for working holiday authorization:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Canada
- Chile
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- New Zealand
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- The United States of America.
Successful applicants from most of these countries can work in Ireland for up to one year. Citizens of Canada who obtain the visa, however, can work in Ireland for up to 2 years. Unfortunately, it is not possible to extend the Working Holiday Visa.
If your application is approved, you will receive Working Holiday Authorization, confirming your right to engage in casual or temporary work in Ireland. Keep in mind that depending on where you are from, you might only be able to work for a few months with one employer.
Once you are allowed entry to Ireland, you must then register your presence with the nearest immigration registration office where you will then receive an Irish Residence Permit.
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What are the eligibility requirements for the Ireland Working Holiday Visa?
To be able to apply for the Ireland Working Holiday Visa, in addition to being a citizen of one of the eligible countries, you have to meet the following general eligibility requirements:
- You have a passport that will remain valid for at least 30 months past the date of your arrival in Ireland
- You have not previously obtained and traveled to Ireland on the Ireland Working Holiday Visa
- You are able to prove that you have the sufficient funds to cover all the expenses during your stay in Ireland
- You have private medical insurance that will be valid for the whole duration of your stay in Ireland
- You can submit a receipt for the visa application fee
- You do not have a criminal record
- You have ties in your home country that will make you return there once your Working Holiday Visa expires
- You do not intend to spend more than 1 year in Ireland, or 2 years if you are a citizen of Canada.
In addition, you must not be traveling to Ireland with any dependent visa unless that individual has their own visa for travel to Ireland.
If you are not sure whether you are eligible for the Working Holiday Visa, talk to our immigration lawyers. They can assess your circumstances and help you determine whether you can apply. As part of the application process, you have to submit a number of documents that prove that you meet the eligibility criteria. Your lawyer can help you prepare a complete portfolio of evidence.
What are the country-specific requirements?
In addition to the general eligibility requirements, you have to meet the country-specific requirements that vary depending on where you come from. These are:
- Argentina – you are between 18 and 35 years old
- Australia – you are between 18 and 35 years old and during the validity of your visa you will spend no longer than 6 months working for the same employer
- Canada – you are between 18 and 35 years old
- Chile – you are between 18 and 30 years old
- Hong Kong – you are between 18 and 30 years old and during the validity of your visa you will spend no longer than 3 months working for the same employer. Moreover, you can only apply after March 1st
- Japan – you are between 18 and 25 years old and you are in full-time employment or education. Moreover, you can only apply at a particular time of the year so make sure to ask the embassy about the details
- New Zealand – you are between 18 and 35 years old and during the validity of your visa you will spend no longer than 6 months working for the same employer
- South Korea – you are between 18 and 30 years old
- Taiwan – you are between 18 and 30 years old and you apply through the Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service
- USA – you are at least 18 years old (there is no upper age limit) and you are enrolled in full-time post-secondary education or you graduated in the last 12 months.
Just like requirements, application fees vary for each country. If you hire one of our lawyers, they will explain to you in detail what criteria you have to meet based on your nationality and how much you have to pay to apply.
How to apply for the Ireland Working Holiday Visa?
The first step of the application process for the Ireland Working Holiday Visa is to complete a Working Holiday Authorization, which you can find on the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Keep in mind that if you are a citizen of Taiwan, you have to follow a different procedure and apply through The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service.
Applications for the Ireland Working Holiday Visa have to be submitted from abroad at a local Irish Consulate or Irish Embassy in the applicant’s home country. It is not possible to apply for a Working Holiday Visa from Ireland.
The next step is to prepare documents that confirm your eligibility for the Working Holiday Visa. The exact documents you have to submit vary depending on your individual circumstances so, to make sure you do not miss some, it is advisable to hire an immigration lawyer.
Once you submit your application along with all the evidence and you pay the fee, your application will be reviewed by immigration officials.
If your application is successful, you will receive your work authorization and you will be able to travel to Ireland. When you arrive, you will have to show your documents to those working at the border. They will decide whether to grant you permission to enter Ireland.
If your application is unsuccessful, you will be informed of the reasons for the decision.
How can IAS help?
At IAS, we have a team of experienced immigration lawyers who have a thorough knowledge of Irish immigration law.
Understanding the requirements for the Working Holiday Visa to Ireland can be difficult as the requirements vary depending on the country of your citizenship. If you hire one of our lawyers they will make sure that you know what criteria apply to you. They will also help you determine whether you qualify for the scheme and will guide you through the application process.
By hiring an immigration lawyer, you can make sure that your application has been completed to the highest standards. Thanks to that you can maximize the chances of your application being approved.
Call us today at +1 844 290 6312 to find out more about how we can help.
Last modified on August 8th, 2023 at 6:19 am
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Frequently Asked Questions
Your approved application for an Irish Working Holiday Visa does not automatically guarantee entry into Ireland. When you reach the border, an immigration officer at Border Control will review your documents and decide whether or not to allow you in.
If they grant you permission to enter the country, you will receive a landing stamp on your passport. Once you settle in, you have to go to the registration office to register your stay in Ireland with the Garda National Immigration Bureau. You have to show your landing stamp and your working holiday authorisation to immigration officers to receive permission to spend more than 90 days in Ireland.
On average, applications for the Working Holiday Visas are processed within 6 to 8 weeks. Nevertheless, the waiting time for the Working Holiday Visa varies as applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The circumstances of each applicant are different so, if your case is complex, you might have to wait longer than others. Similarly, if you apply during holiday periods, the processing might take longer.
To apply for the Working Holiday Visa to Ireland, citizens of Taiwan have to download the application form from INIS’s website. After completing the form and preparing the required supporting documents, they need to get in touch with Taiwan’s Ireland handling agent. That should be done via email.
Once you complete this step, the agent will conduct an initial assessment. Only after that will you be able to send the application form to an immigration office specified on the website of INIS for processing.
Citizens of most of the eligible countries can stay in Ireland for up to one year on the Working Holiday Visa. The situation is different for the citizens of Canada who can spend up to 2 years in Ireland under the scheme.
Keep in mind that it is not possible to extend the Working Holiday Visa so once your permit expires, you must leave Ireland. Moreover, you can only come to Ireland on the Working Holiday Visa once.