Mayo people more likely to apply for visa to migrate

IRELAND’S leading migration agent, www.visafirst.com, has released a study of its database which reveals the profile of those Irish people most likely to apply for working visas to the top three destinations of Australia, Canada and New Zealand in the period August 2014 - 2015.

Statistics from the VisaFirst.com Migration Index reveal that applications from Mayo are proportionally higher (31%) than other counties when the populations are compared.

They have also highlighted some interesting trends in terms of those occupations most likely to migrate.

According to Edwina Shanahan, manager at www.visafirst.com: “Those people involved in construction and building – such as tradespeople, engineers, architects, etcetera - continue to dominate the numbers going abroad for work, and we would have thought that the absolute amount would have fallen by now as the Irish construction industry picks up.”

The company are about to embark on their nationwide free information roadshows, including the Clarion Hotel in Sligo on September 21.

Added Edwina: “Our index gives a good overview of what’s happening on the ground. As life in Ireland gets back to 'normal' more employment will be created and the numbers of people who feel they have to leave the country for work will hopefully decrease. However, Irish people are renowned for their love of travel and adventure so there will always be people who fancy a new experience away from home and graduates will still want to travel to broaden, not only their work experience, but also their life experience portfolios!”