3,850 visas for Canada snapped up in 10 minutes

The latest scramble for Canadian working visas has seen 3,850 permits grabbed inside 10 minutes.

The visas were part of more than 10,000 two-year working-holiday visas that will be offered to Irish people this year.

The 3,850 visas went on offer from Canadian immigration authorities on Thursday at 8pm and within 10 minutes all subscriptions were filled.

Another 3,850 will be made available in the coming months once the impact of Thursday’s round is assessed.

There are also 2,500 more that have been ring-fenced for people with definite jobs lined up. Another 500 have been kept aside for internship programmes.

The 10,000 visas are an increase of more than 3,000 on 2013.

The release came ahead of a recruitment drive by employers in Canada in Dublin and Cork this month.

The Working Abroad Canada Expo will take place in the RDS on March 22 and 23 and will move to Silversprings Hotel in Cork on March 26.

Tickets for both events cost €10.

There is a particular drive by Calgary, the largest city in the oil-rich province of Alberta.

Jeanette Sutherland of Calgary Economic Development said oil companies are keen to hire but there are also opportunities from other sectors.

“While many of the companies travelling to Ireland are construction or oil and gas industry orientated, we have jobs in healthcare, education, administration, to name a few so please don’t rule yourself out.

“We are now seeing a lot of Irish moving to enhance their job prospects and lifestyle. The great advantage with Calgary is that families don’t need to be nervous about long-term prospects, Calgary is a very safe move in terms of a good future,” she said.

lFor more details about the exhibition see http://exa.mn/2hl http://www.workingabroad.net/visit-events/.