Canadian visas in demand by young Irish workers

Almost all of the Canadian working holiday visas allotted to Irish passport holders have been taken up, with less than 500 of the initial 5,000 visas remaining.

Canadian immigration

Almost all of the Canadian working holiday visas allotted to Irish passport holders have been taken up.

The rush by young Irish workers to sign up for the Canada visa that grants them a year to live and work in Canada has resulted in almost all of the quota of 5,000 visas being depleted.

Speaking on the demand, Jackie Ellis, a representative from Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, said that the 2011 Canadian working holiday visa programme would likely be closed to Irish applicants due to the quota being filled:

"We are very close to closing the programme because the quota will be full. I would say by the end of August everything will be gone," she said.

Additionally, Ms Ellis stressed that lodging an application now did not mean that an individual would be able to travel to Canada immediately:

"Once the visa is applied for, a successful applicant is issued a letter of introduction. From receipt of that letter they have one year to travel," she clarified.

However, while the Canadian working holiday visa might soon be closed to applicants from Ireland, other countries are offering similar programmes - both the Australian working holiday visa and New Zealand working holiday visa are still available to young travellers from Ireland and the UK.

The Canadian Visa Bureau is an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people make their Canadian immigration application to the Canadian Embassy.