New members of the Ireland forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018

Hello, I am a 37 yr old Licensed Massage Therapist living in Utah, USA. I have been to Ireland 2x in the last year and knew after a week into the first trip that I wanted to move there.
I have no idea where to start with that process and its all very overwhelming.
I am aware that its unlikely to get a work visa in my current career field.
Is anyone aware of any alternate routes to gaining a Visa and the ability to work there ?
I have been looking into additional schooling also as a potential route ...
Has anyone purchased a property as a vacation home and then rented it out when not there and then used that as an avenue toward gaining a Visa ( ie: having it held as a US business and then once it has reasonable revenue looking at moving it to a ireland based business and applying for a visa as an entrepreneur / business owner  )
Also what about doing part of your schooling out of the country and then transfering to a student visa the last year of schooling for a critical skills field?
I'm open to any and all suggestions on this as the end goal is just the ability to move myself and my children there.

Born and raised in the US, recently got my Irish citizenship via Foreign Birth Registry, in the process of applying for my Irish passport. My husband and I are considering retiring to Ireland. We spent 10 days there last summer to scout it out, liked Cork City best of all. Hope to go there for a 90 day visit once he is fully retired, explore the rest of the country a bit more, and decide from there.

This is Carmela. My partner and I own a web design agency.
See y'all around!

Hi folks Im new here😁 currently living in Dublin for 17years and originally from Philippines..looking forward talking new friends🍻..Have A nice day! All😍

I am an Australian 60yo retiree and am thinking about moving to The RoI.   My surname is O'Reilly so there's a hint as to why I would find the concept appealing...  Being a retired person I am going to give Dublin a miss due to cost but I would be interested to hear opinions on where to look that perhaps were within  easy range of an airport or ferry.  Weather doesn't bother me. ****

oreillybill wrote:

I am an Australian 60yo retiree and am thinking about moving to The RoI.   My surname is O'Reilly so there's a hint as to why I would find the concept appealing...  Being a retired person I am going to give Dublin a miss due to cost but I would be interested to hear opinions on where to look that perhaps were within  easy range of an airport or ferry.  Weather doesn't bother me. ************

Please don't display personal detail on the open forum, this is for your own safety.

@oriellybill ....as a nature photographer myself and been to places in Ireland I would recommend for you places like Donegal , Cork and Killarney  ..such a beautiful places 😁🍻

Hi my name is Cynthia

I and my husband are planning to move to Ireland but need help in terms of find a job there.

We are both Zimbabwean citizens currently residing in South Africa.

My husband has  a Business management and Information technology Hons  and I am studying towards my  final year BSc Information technology systems engineering degree


We wish to find Work in Ireland and immigrate
Does anyone know how to go about it.Are there genuine recruitment agencies that can help.

HI!  I'm Erin and I'm currently looking at Visa options to join my boyfriend of almost 3 years in Ireland.  We're looking at defacto and authorization to work.  I prefer to be able to move there on my own strengths (work sponsorship), but realize defacto may be the "easier" route.  Either way, I'm very excited at the prospect and can't wait to get there!! 

Any advice you have on the process is welcome!!

My family and I will be moving to Galway in August!  Coming from sunny San Diego. Will be a change, but we're so excited!

What made you decide on Ireland.

Hi there,

This is Asuna Masuda. I am from Japan. I moved to Ireland this year's January because I married with an Irish person. I like traveling, doing yoga, reading as a hobby.
I love Ireland because it is such a beautiful country with lush grassland, architecture and there are cheerful Irish people who likes jokes and having fun!
***

Have a great day and nice weekend!

Hi! I'm Jen. My husband is originally from Drogheda. I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He moved with me to Ohio for 2 years and we moved back to Drogheda in September 2017. We have a family home here. We're both looking for jobs and would love any  advice. I am a nurse waiting to get through the red tape of the Irish Nursing Board so I can work.

Hello Everyone,
I'm pratap and i am single. I was born and brought up in india. I am basically a commerce graduate with masters in Business Administration. I have 10+ years of work experience in the field of Finance. I love to travel a lot and have visited many countries around the world in the past. I love Ireland because it's a beautiful country with rich culture and landscape. I want to be a part of the culture.I am very exited and happy that i have made up my mind to settle in Ireland.

Any help with regard to starting the Immigration process and mainly with getting a work would be highly appreciated. Any tip about Genuine recruitment agencies are also welcome.
Thanks in advance.cheers

Hello dear @erake88 .. I'm Rossel from Leyte and have been living in Croatia since 2012. My husband got a job in Dublin and he'll start in June.  Our son and I will follow probably in July. For the time being he will be staying in a shared room.  Do you have any info about a good house to rent in Dublin or near Dublin for a family? Kasi we're trying online but then every other day it's already taken. So, if you know some let me know please so my hubby can check them out when he will arrive there in 15th of May.Thanks.

Born in South Africa, spent half of my childhood and adolescence as an expat in other parts of Africa. My family moved around a lot because of my father's job and so it was easier for my mother to homeschool me. Being homeschooled was rather hard on me to say the least, I was lonely and I never really had any friends. Also, because of the poor postal system in many parts of Africa, my study materials would sometimes take months to get to me and so I fell behind. At the end of the day I ended up graduating high school at the age of 20. I took a gap year and moved back to South Africa to focus on finding myself in the world around me. During this gap year I built up some social skills (though I admit I am not an extrovert in the least and I never will be), I made some friends, I had some fun, I got some life experience and I learned a couple of things about myself that I didn't know. However, I still wasn't entirely sure about what I wanted to do with my life. So this year, I decided to take courses in photography and creative writing (to try and be productive to some degree), and by doing this I found a career path perfect for me. At 22, I finally know what I want to do with my life. I'm planning on getting my bachelors degree in film production (directing, scriptwriting, cinematography and all that) in Ireland. Why Ireland? Well, a number of reasons. First, I love Ireland (or the idea of Ireland, rather, as I have never actually been to Ireland). My great grandparents are from Ireland, I've always dreamed of going and I have only ever heard good things about it from everyone who's been there. Second, the education is much better than in South Africa, and the crime rate is much lower. My question is, what are my chances of getting into college/university in Ireland? I was homeschooled (I never did any school plays, I wasn't in a drama club), I graduated at age 20, I have no qualifications to speak of at the moment and I have never formally worked a day in my life. This might just be my anxiety talking, but it sounds to me that my chances are pretty slim. I apologize to everyone who has managed to make it this far in my post, I know probably 3/4 of everything I just shared has absolutely nothing to do with this forum, I didn't know where else to go. Apologies, apologies.

Love, peace and harmony xXx

Hi everyone,
Moved over to Ireland from Cape Town South Africa on October 2017.  Relocated to Waterford City! QS as occupation! 39years old

Good day all
I am divina a 38 year old female south African.
I was born and raised in South Africa. I am currently employed with the protea hotel group which is now part of mariott international.
I have been with the group for 6 years now.
I have been in the accounts department I have had experience in accounts payable and accounts receivable. I have travelled and lived abroad I was in the uk for 2 years and I have also travelled to Ireland recently to visit for two weeks what an amazing place . I loved it so much . At the moment I am trying to seek employment in Ireland I have been applying so far I have not been successful.

good day fellas.. im considering moving to Ireland hopeful to study and get a part time job. i need information with regards to that and what could be the cost including accommodation and fees

Poso wrote:

good day fellas.. im considering moving to Ireland hopeful to study and get a part time job. i need information with regards to that and what could be the cost including accommodation and fees

Hi Poso and welcome to the Forum.

I'd recommend you start here.

Cynic
Expat Team

Hi, I am from Egypt and I got a job offer in Dublin, planning to move next September.
How is life in Dublin? It's my first time to leave my country and still worry about that experience.

Good day to all. I'm Irish but have been living in the Philippines for about eight years and recently arrived back in Ireland, still unsettled though. I am working for myself on developing an exciting new energy generation technology. I would like to connect with anyone of goodwill for a chat, maybe meetup in Dublin or Kildare area.

Good Morning
Im Dawn 32 im currently in South Africa and would like to start a new life in Ireland.i am currently a Restaurant Manager for McDonalds SA and would like to start a new life if you hve info please assist..

Perhaps you could try an internal company transfer ?
Have you set up a LinkedIn profile? It comes in handy when networking

penny96 wrote:

Born in South Africa, spent half of my childhood and adolescence as an expat in other parts of Africa. My family moved around a lot because of my father's job and so it was easier for my mother to homeschool me. Being homeschooled was rather hard on me to say the least, I was lonely and I never really had any friends. Also, because of the poor postal system in many parts of Africa, my study materials would sometimes take months to get to me and so I fell behind. At the end of the day I ended up graduating high school at the age of 20. I took a gap year and moved back to South Africa to focus on finding myself in the world around me. During this gap year I built up some social skills (though I admit I am not an extrovert in the least and I never will be), I made some friends, I had some fun, I got some life experience and I learned a couple of things about myself that I didn't know. However, I still wasn't entirely sure about what I wanted to do with my life. So this year, I decided to take courses in photography and creative writing (to try and be productive to some degree), and by doing this I found a career path perfect for me. At 22, I finally know what I want to do with my life. I'm planning on getting my bachelors degree in film production (directing, scriptwriting, cinematography and all that) in Ireland. Why Ireland? Well, a number of reasons. First, I love Ireland (or the idea of Ireland, rather, as I have never actually been to Ireland). My great grandparents are from Ireland, I've always dreamed of going and I have only ever heard good things about it from everyone who's been there. Second, the education is much better than in South Africa, and the crime rate is much lower. My question is, what are my chances of getting into college/university in Ireland? I was homeschooled (I never did any school plays, I wasn't in a drama club), I graduated at age 20, I have no qualifications to speak of at the moment and I have never formally worked a day in my life. This might just be my anxiety talking, but it sounds to me that my chances are pretty slim. I apologize to everyone who has managed to make it this far in my post, I know probably 3/4 of everything I just shared has absolutely nothing to do with this forum, I didn't know where else to go. Apologies, apologies.

Love, peace and harmony xXx

HI penny96

Glad to hear that you've made a goal! Now you should start the process of formulating a plan.
Here are somethings to consider.

1. Do you need a visa to live and study in Ireland ? (http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/check-irish-visa)
2. Which university would you like to apply to? Perhaps an institute which is well-known in Film Production. I've heard that Limerick Institute of Technology has some relevant courses http://cao.lit.ie/courses/ . But PLEASE do your research !

3. How are you going to pay for your university fees?
This is important to consider as you might need to pay NON-EU fees

4. What can you do now to gain some experience or improve your educational qualifications?
- Do you have a recognized high school diploma?
- Can you sit for a A Levels or something equivalent as a private candidate?
- Most importantly make sure you fulfill the minimum requirements of the university you are applying to.

Good Luck!

Pratapkumar7804 wrote:

Hello Everyone,
I'm pratap and i am single. I was born and brought up in india. I am basically a commerce graduate with masters in Business Administration. I have 10+ years of work experience in the field of Finance. I love to travel a lot and have visited many countries around the world in the past. I love Ireland because it's a beautiful country with rich culture and landscape. I want to be a part of the culture.I am very exited and happy that i have made up my mind to settle in Ireland.

Any help with regard to starting the Immigration process and mainly with getting a work would be highly appreciated. Any tip about Genuine recruitment agencies are also welcome.
Thanks in advance.cheers

HI!
Most Non-EEA professionals take the Graduate level route

Consider courses at NUIG or UCD or TCD and then begin your process of finding a job after graduation

Pratapkumar7804 wrote:

Hello Everyone,
I'm pratap and i am single. I was born and brought up in india. I am basically a commerce graduate with masters in Business Administration. I have 10+ years of work experience in the field of Finance. I love to travel a lot and have visited many countries around the world in the past. I love Ireland because it's a beautiful country with rich culture and landscape. I want to be a part of the culture.I am very exited and happy that i have made up my mind to settle in Ireland.

Any help with regard to starting the Immigration process and mainly with getting a work would be highly appreciated. Any tip about Genuine recruitment agencies are also welcome.
Thanks in advance.cheers

HI!
Most Non-EEA professionals take the Graduate level route

Consider courses at NUIG or UCD or TCD and then begin your process of finding a job after graduation

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and I are South Africans, desperately wanting to make a move. I am a mechanical engineer, but currently working as a business/IT contractor (no work in engineering here).

We are starting this scary journey of trying to find a country for us, hopefully IRE, CAN or NZ. I am looking to forward to learning a lot on this forum.

Thanks, Stefan.

Hi Stefan and welcome to the Forum.

Each country has its own forum page(s); at the top of each is a link to the respective Handy Tools section for that country; in those, you'll find some Expat Guides that are specific for that country.

So, check those out and once you've read them, come back to us with any specific questions.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Hi All,

I'm Marike from South Africa.

So I was considering a move to Ireland, Sent my CV mid June to test the waters. Had an interview 3 days later and an offer another 2 days later.

So here I am, On my way to Ireland. Starting 1 September (Hopefully my work permit is ready).


Exciting and scary all at the same time.

Dear beautiful people,

Besides coaching high school students, I am currently working on my own business here in the Netherlands as a personal trainer and lifestyle consultant. However, I'm very interested in making a move to Ireland for a while now..

Personally, I consider myself to be a positive and driven individual with a deep interest in health, strength, entrepreneurship and communication, in order to contribute to those around me. Therefore, I would be looking for a job which is in alignment with my own values, while at the same time being able to work on my own business.

If anybody has some good ideas to help me on my way, let me know!

HI everyone. I'm Katy from Raleigh, NC USA. MY fiance and I are looking to relocate some time soon. Hope this forum will be of help to us.

Hi Everyone

I am a 37 year old female South African. I recently received my British passport so we want to relocate to Ireland. My hubby and kids have South African passports. There are so many beautiful places in Ireland, we are battling to decide where to go to. Any tips? My daughter is matriculating this year and wants to study at University. My son who is 10 years old needs a good school which can help him with his ADHD and dyslexic needs. Any advice on schools will be greatly appreciated. Finding jobs for my hubby and I is another issue but my first concern is where to go to suit my kids needs. We own a business in SA so also need to decide whether to keep the business open or close doors and sell everything off? Any expats with this experience.

Hope to hear from u soon

Greetings, everyone!

My name is Daniel. I was considering moving to Ireland with my spouse, Catherine, for a few years. Now we're about to get our visas, yay. There's a long journey ahead of us and it involves a lot of planning, of course. But still, I'm very excited.

Hello All!  My name is Andree (or Andi for short) and I'm from California the East Bay.  I'm working on my dual EU citizenship through ancestry and will hopefully get it soon (by October 2018 cross your fingers).   I'm interested in relocating to Ireland.  I am a social worker but have other career interests as well such as teaching, researching, peer support service, and human resources.  I have a lovely calico cat named Ruby that I am going to bring along with me to Ireland. 

I was wondering if anyone here can recommend good and reasonable Irish immigration lawyers?

Thanks much!

Andi

Marikedb wrote:

Hi All,

I'm Marike from South Africa.

So I was considering a move to Ireland, Sent my CV mid June to test the waters. Had an interview 3 days later and an offer another 2 days later.

So here I am, On my way to Ireland. Starting 1 September (Hopefully my work permit is ready).


Exciting and scary all at the same time.

How exciting!  Congratulations on the new job!  Mind if I ask what field you are in?  I wish you the best of luck!

Lweninger wrote:

My family and I will be moving to Galway in August!  Coming from sunny San Diego. Will be a change, but we're so excited!

How exciting!  I almost got a job there, I'm from the San Francisco East Bay area.  I would love to learn more from you about your transition because I am planning to move to Ireland in the near future.  Have to get my EU citizenship first.