Why Ireland?
Ireland is a small, safe, and beautiful country with a rich cultural heritage and the cities are buzzing with things to see and do. A young country with a thriving economy, world-famous nightlife, and generous post-study work opportunities. What are you waiting for?
A small, safe country in Europe with warm and welcoming people
Ireland is famous for its hospitality and the Irish people are naturally warm & friendly. With a population of 5 million, where 50% of the population are under the age of 30, it is one of the youngest countries in Europe.
The country has a rich cultural heritage in music, art, poetry and dance and the cities are buzzing with things to see and do. The nightlife is world famous, but equally attractive is the accessibility of the great outdoors and the range of activities from hiking to biking and sailing to cycling.
An affordable education of the highest quality
Aside from its natural beauty and warm welcome, Ireland is also a first-class destination for Higher Education. Ranked in the top 10 globally for its education system, Ireland provides a very high standard of tuition for a very affordable price. Of the top five major English-speaking destinations, Ireland is among the most affordable which is likely one of the reasons why it welcomes more international students per capita than any other destination in the world. The two largest universities in Ireland are ranked in the top 200 universities in the world, and many programmes from all seven universities rank in the top 100 for their selected field of study. From High School to post-graduate study, Ireland offers international students a first-class location with unbeatable opportunities.
A thriving economy and a hub for business and technology
By any standards the economy in Ireland is thriving, and the country is fast becoming a global hub for technology, business, science and pharma. Almost every major global tech company has a presence in Ireland and nine of the top ten pharmaceutical companies are located here. There are currently 80,000 people working in tech in Ireland and a further 8,000 jobs are predicated to be created each year, with thousands of current active roles. One of the major attractions to Ireland for these international companies is access to highly educated and young graduates with the skills and drive their companies forward. One of the big attractions to study in Ireland is the opportunity to work for these global companies under the generous Third Level Graduate Work Permit scheme.
Generous post-study work permits and a route to residency
The Third Level Graduate Work Permit scheme enables international students who graduate from Level 8 (Honours Degree) to remain in the country for one-year post-study with a full work permit. Graduates of Level 9 (Masters) can remain up to two-years. Qualified graduates with specific skills may also be eligible to be sponsored by an employer for a Critical Skills Work permit which can lead to residency.