How do I legally move to Ireland to live and work?

Question

Hi. I am a single mother of one girl. I am wanting to immigrate to Ireland and obtain Irish citizenship. How do I get started and what forms do I need to fill out? How does the process work? I have a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from a university in the U.S. and currently have US citizenship. I want to obtain citizenship in Ireland for both my daughter and myself. Thanks.

Answer 1

It won't be easy unless you marry an Irishman or have Irish relatives.  I suggest coming over on a travelers visa and doing a job search, to see what's available in your field -- if an employer wants you badly enough, they may sponsor you for a work visa.  But it occurs to me that criminal justice in the US is probably a lot different from criminal justice here -- so you'd likely have to find out what the qualifications are to work in that field here, and maybe take a course.  In any case, an uphill battle for you.

Answer 2

Hi,

if you have Irish Grandparents you may automatically be entitled to an Irish passsport. But if you are coming to work here you will need to get a work visa first if u have american citizenship.

Answer 3

You cannot get a work permit unless you apply for a job while here in the US and the job in Ireland will file for your work permit.  You can go to the Irish Embassy site in Washington and they will tell you what to do.  Right now the jobs wanted are Nursing, Doctors, and IT also Social Work.

You can go online and look up jobs agencies like monster, or Jobs.ie in ireland.

You can post your resume.  

Or you can do like me I go to ireland and live most of the year and after three years you can apply for permanent residency after you have lived as a permanent residence for I believe three or four years you can apply for citizenship.

I go and have made lots of friends I stay with a lady with a large house and pay about 250 EURO a month.

Go at least for a summer if you can and meet the locals and find a place you like sometimes just doing that could lead to a job and help to get there.