Ireland

• • The quality of the Irish education system is one of the best in Europe.
• • Irish higher education institutions excel in many disciplines and are known for their teaching and research.
• • Being an English-speaking country, it’s a hub of technological innovations and scientific research.
• • Irish people are known for their friendly nature and hospitality.
• • Ireland’s landscape is extraordinary. Every single weekend you will have a beautiful place to visit during your stay in the country. Make sure you get your checklist ready!
• • Ireland is a dynamic and modern country.

Irish institutions are classified into three categories: private independent colleges, universities and institute of technologies.

Irish universities are autonomous but funded by the state government. The universities have a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses on offer. There are 7 universities in Ireland.

There are 14 Institute of Technologies, and they have diploma, certificate and degree programs in areas like business, linguistics, science and engineering on offer.

Private independent colleges have certificate, degree and vocational programmes on offer in fields like art & design, rural development, business studies and law.

Ireland accepts students with 15 years of education for postgraduate studies. It’s a young country and has over 200,000 international students.

Study options

The primary academic intakes begin in September at most colleges and universities in Ireland, though a few institutions offer intakes in February.

Undergraduate degree programs usually last for 3 to 4 years (full-time study), which might vary depending on each institution. Postgraduate qualifications awarded could be postgraduate diploma or PhD. Both taught and research postgraduate courses are on offer at Irish institutions. A typical postgraduate lasts for 1–2 years of full-time study and a PhD lasts for 3 years at Irish institutions.

Benefits of studying in Ireland

• • Courses are taught in English.
• • Courses are globally recognized and accredited by leading academic bodies.
• • Scholarships are given for deserving students.
• • Strong Asian community.
• • Close proximity to London and is well-connected to the rest of Europe - the student lifeis something everyone must experience.
• • A land of astounding beauty with some amazing cliffs, lakes and beaches.
• • Dublin is a tech hub in Ireland. It is Google’s European headquarters as well.
• • Ireland is known as the largest exporter of software worldwide and is also well-known for its pharmaceutical industries.
• • International students studying at Irish institutions have options to work part-time for 20 hours /week.
• • The country has 4.4% of unemployment rate.
• • Ireland also offers 1 year postgraduate and accepts MBA admissions (in certain cases) without any prior work experience.
• • Due to the technological advancements in Dublin, and other cities in Ireland, most universities have good rapport with industries; therefore, students find it easy to find a job.
• • Also most universities encourage students to take up internships with popular companies, to become job-ready graduates.
• • Ireland has a 2 year stay-back option for postgraduates studying at Irish institutions.

Intake Period:

• • September
• • February

Language Requirements

• The above is exempted if students has completed school and college in English medium and have also scored above 70% in the main exams.

Eligibility:

Students wishing to study in Ireland have two options.

• 1. Complete secondary school with Irish students
• 2. To undertake recognized public examinations in their own countries. Here
• • Applicant should possess the required academic qualification
• • Admission depends on Levels accumulated.
• • For Programs in Medicine - Three A/B level or equivalent in relevant subject
• • For degree programs – Three Grade ‘C’s at A level or equivalent.

Student can apply to the institutions directly or to the Central Applications Office for Undergraduate Programmes.

*The eligibility criteria vary from University to University.

Cost of studying in Ireland

With the cost of living in Ireland being considerably lesser when compared with London or New York, Dublin and Cork have become attractive options for world-class higher education. The proximity to London also allows students to visit London during the weekends.

Tuition Fees – All costs in Euro (EUR)

Generally, 2-10 working days are needed to process a visa for a short stay application whereas visas for a longer stay might take several months. Moreover, there may be a waiting period during the peak travel season. Hence, it is better to apply at the earliest possible.

The fees vary significantly for undergraduate and post graduate programs.

Under-Graduate programs

• Medicine - From €30,000 to €46,000
• Engineering - From €9,000 - €20,000.
• Science & Technology - From €9,000 to €17,000
• Arts & Humanities – From €9,000 to €16,000.

Postgraduate Programs

• Medicine - From €20,000 to €38,000
• Engineering - From €9,000 to €20,000
• Science & Technology - From €10,000 to €18,000
• Arts & Humanities – From €9,000 to €20,000
• Business Administration – From €10,000 to €20,000
• Management Programs - From €10,000 to €20,000

Living Costs

This ranges from €7000 to €12,000 per year depending on the lifestyle of the student.

Scholarships for international students

• • NUI Galway international student scholarship
• • University College Dublin scholarship
• • Trinity College Dublin scholarship

Travelling to Ireland for study

Citizens of certain countries who wish to pursue a course of study in Ireland must apply for a visa to enter Ireland before they travel here. If you are a non-EEA national coming to study in Ireland you must be enrolled in a full-time course on the Interim List of Eligible Programs (ILEP).

Visa applicants must apply online for their visa. If you wish to study in Ireland for less than 3 months you should apply for a 'C study visa'. If your course lasts longer than 3 months, you should apply for a 'D study visa'.

Permission to remain

Students from a non-EEA country who intend studying in Ireland for a period of more than 3 months must register, after they arrive, with the local immigration officer for the district in which they are living (Burgh Quay Registration Office if living in Dublin). Their passport will be endorsed with the conditions and period of time for which they have permission to remain. Students who do not require a visa must have €3,000 when they first register. Information on what documentation students require when applying for permission is available on the website of the Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service (INIS).

Non-EEA students coming to Ireland for the first time may not get permission to remain in Ireland if they have their children with them, or intend their children to join them later on. There is more information about the children of non-EEA students on the INIS website (pdf).
You can find out how to register in our document on Registration of non-EEA nationals in Ireland.

Access to employment while in Ireland on a student visa

If you are attending a course on the Interim List of Eligible Programs (ILEP) you will have stamp number 2 endorsed on your passport when you register with your local immigration officer. You will be allowed to take up casual employment of up to 20 hours part-time work per week in term time or up to 40 hours per week during college vacation periods, that is, from June to September inclusive and from 15 December to 15 January. Your entitlement to take up employment ceases when your permission to remain expires.

If you are not attending such a course, you will not be entitled to take up part-time work or engage in any business or profession. You will get stamp number 2A on your passport.
You can read information on employment rights of part-time workers in Ireland here.

The visa issued to you allows you to enter the State once. If you wish to leave for a short while and then return you must apply for a re-entry visa.

Rates

Standard non-refundable visa application processing fees are:

• Single-journey visa: €60
• Multiple-journey visa: €100

Students who are allowed to work part-time during the course session are granted Visa Stamp 2, while those who are not allowed to work part-time at all get the Visa stamp 2A.

Holding a valid stamp 2 means you will be permitted to work for 20 hours per week during the academic session, and 40 hours per week during the months of May, June, July, August and from 15th December to 15th January. These are the vacation times in Ireland so the time allowed to work increases in the vacations.

To be eligible to work part-time, you need to be:

• • Registered with local police known as Garda National Immigration Bureau or GNIB
• • Accepted to a course recognized by the Minister for Education and Skills
• • Enrolled to a full time course at or above NFQ Level 7
• • Attending classes between 8 AM and 6 PM per week
• • Enrolled to a course with at least one year’s duration

If you are eligible to work part-time in Ireland, need to acquire a PPS Number (Personal Public Services Number). Your employer will be able to pay you only if you have a PPS number. Also you will need to open an account with any Irish bank as the payment can be made only to an Irish bank account. Minimum wage in Ireland is €7.32 for those who are over the age of 18 and are fresher.

The Irish government allows you to extend you permission to stay for 6 months to secure employment as part of the Third Level Graduate Scheme.

If you qualify for this scheme, you will be granted one non-renewable extension to your current student permission for a six month period starting on the day upon which they received your exam results. This scheme allows you to seek employment and gain a green card or work permit. While you are at college in Ireland you are entitled to work up to 20 hours per week in term time, and 40 hours per week in holiday times.

You may be able to stay and work in Ireland after you graduate, but there are some restrictions. If you are a graduate from outside the European Economic Area, you can apply for an extension to your study visa for up to six months after you get your exam results. You must apply to the Garda National Immigration Bureau for this.

During the six month period you will be allowed to work for up to 40 hours per week without an employment permit.

After this, you will only be able to get employment in specific areas where there are skills shortages. These include information technology, healthcare and financial services. To stay in Ireland long term, you will need to get a Green Card or work permit.

What is a green card?

A Green Card Permit is an employment permit which allows you to work in Ireland with the specified employer in an occupation where skills shortages exist. It is issued for an initial period of two years, after which it can normally be renewed indefinitely.

Your job offer will need to fulfil the following conditions:

• • the job pays over €60,000 a year
• • the job is in a restricted list of occupations, pays over €30,000 a year and is for at least two years.

Cost of the application: €1,000

A job offer with a bona-fide company registered for trading in Ireland is required. The permit allows you to apply for immediate family reunification and time spent under the permit can count towards permanent residency. There is no need for a labour market assessment test prior to applying for the permit. Either an employer or an employee can apply for the permit. The employee must possess the relevant qualifications, skills or experience for the desired employment.

What is a work permit?

Another way of obtaining employment is through the work permit system, but these are difficult to obtain as it will require a labour market test. This means that your prospective employer must comply with certain rules regarding advertising of the job position and confirm that no Irish national can fulfil that vacancy. You can find details on the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation website.

The job shall have an annual salary of at least €30,000 or below €30,000 for specific cases where the job fulfil some public interest.

Cost of the application: €1,000 up to 24 months.

Accountancy & Finance - Tax Director €85 – 275K

While salaries have remained relatively static in the accountancy & finance sector, niche areas such as tax are demanding a big premium this year. Tax Directors can expect a high of €135,000 while a more senior Tax Partner can expect a high of €275,000.

Engineering - General Manager €90 – 150K

Salaries seeing the biggest rise in the Engineering space are in Pharma or Biotech companies reflecting the increased demand in these specialisations. Engineering managers in these types of companies can look to benefit from salaries of between €90 and €150K. Engineers in the Medical Device space are also commanding higher salaries this year.

Financial Services - EMEA Head - €220 - 350K

The Financial services sector is set to grow 10-15% over the next year, instigating an increase in salaries also. Competitive benefit packages are part of the parcel in order to attract and retain top talent in this sector. An EMEA Head in this area can look to take home up to €350K. Compliance is another area experiencing a salary boost with a Chief Compliance Officer taking home €240K at the high end of the market.

HR - Head of Compensation & Benefits - €100 - 160K

The HR function has experienced tremendous growth and is becoming a more central component to a company’s strategic planning. Specialised roles such as those in Compensation & Benefits are seeing the most growth and consequently the highest salaries. A Head of Compensation & Benefits will make between €100 and €160K as retaining top talent has become essential to every company’s long term vision.

Science & Pharma - VP of Quality - €180 - €220K

Salaries in this space have risen thanks to new start-ups emerging, steep competition and a high demand for skilled talent. A VP of Quality in 2018 will earn a high of €220K with Quality being one of the top areas in demand this year.

Technology - Contract professionals - €450 – €750 per day

Increased investment on the part of companies in new technologies and platforms has driven up salaries in many areas of the tech sectors this year. Big Data Developers can earn between €450 – 650K per day while Management Consultants in Professional Services can earn between €450 – 750K.