Work opportunities in a different country is a big deal for international students. Internships and part-time jobs not only ease your financial burden but also kickstarts your professional career, especially in countries like Ireland where international students are eligible for 20hrs part-time work options.
In this blog, we will discuss the eligibility criteria and employment opportunities you get when you study abroad in Ireland.
Visa regulations are important for students who want to work part-time while studying in Ireland. Ireland visas are specified by stamp numbers. 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. Ireland’s minimum wage has recently been increased to €9.55 per hour which makes it an even greater opportunity for international students.
Here are the eligibility criteria for working part-time in Ireland:
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- You need to be registered with local police known as Garda National Immigration Bureau or GNIB
- You need to be accepted to a course recognized by the Minister for Education and Skills
- You should be enrolled in a full-time course at or above NFQ Level 7
- You have to attend classes between 8 AM and 6 PM per week
- You need to be enrolled in a course with a minimum duration of one year.
If you are eligible to work part-time in Ireland, you need to acquire a PPS Number (Personal Public Services Number). An employer can only pay employees with a PPS number, and funds will usually only be paid to an Irish bank account. Students will also be required to comply with the Universal Social Contribution (USC), Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI), employment laws, and taxation requirements.
Another way to gain valuable work experience is through internships. The best part is that many undergraduate programmes in Ireland have paid internships built-in as part of the programme. The internship or work placement part of the programme cannot exceed 50% of the duration of the programme, e.g. a 4-year programme will permit 2 years of work placement. In addition, the employment cannot be in a self-employed capacity.
Part-time employment opportunities in Ireland are vast. But it is important to remember that internships and part-time work can only support your everyday costs, and can never be enough to fund your studies and stay.
If you are looking to enroll in Ireland universities and want to know more about the part-time job opportunities and future career opportunities it holds, feel free to schedule a free counselling with iStudyAbroad: https://istudyabroad.co.in/get-started/
We are known for Trust, Reliability, Knowledge, and Student Centric approach to counselling.
