Moving to Ireland

niamh919

[font=Open Sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Sorry if this is not where I am supposed to post this. I am looking to find a way to move and work in Ireland. I am from the US and have very menial skills. I want to go to college, hopefully University of Galway for an RN. I am currently in college but thought if I go to school as an international student that I can only work part time. Which is not something I can afford to do, since my family is not rich or even much of a support. I feel like this is my way of starting my life. Visiting Ireland when I was younger, I fell in love and my heart never left, along with the fact that Irish is my heritage.  I do not have any special skills and the work visas seem to be only college graduates and am not a EU citizen so I am not sure. [/font]I would like to know how, if there is a way.

qwerty13

You need to get googling. I don’t know the answers to your questions, but if I were you I’d check the following:

- admission requirements for a course in Galway (not sure if you’re a mature student or not, or indeed if that makes any difference for international students)
- fees for international students (I think they are substantial for non-EU students, but do check this out)
- I think, but not sure, that students can only work something like 20 hours a week. Check out the regulations on this. I know you say that you couldn’t afford to only work part time, but how do you propose to work full time (if your visa permits it) and go to college? Are you thinking of doing a course by night?
- accomodation costs, and cost of living, is not cheap in Ireland. Can you afford this?

MoonshineMonty

If you have an Irish grandparent, you can get citizenship which can make your situation easier.

Tenigate

I don't see how you could afford to pay the tuition. But where there's a will there's a way.

If you're planning on settling here, best bet is to meet and marry someone. For residents/(citizens?) Uni will be much cheaper, and the government will pay most of the fees.

If you're just looking to spend a few years here, investigate cheaper courses that allow you to obtain a visa and permit you to work part-time.

Neyite

RN = Registered Nursing, yes?

Would you not just study nursing in the US and then come over here to work as an RN?

http://www.nuigalway.ie/nursing.midwifery/

This is the university and it's affiliated with University Hospital Galway for your placement and clinical work - you might find some helpful information there.

niamh919

Simply, I do not want to be here. I have nothing here for me, and am unhappy with my situation. I want to be a rn, yes but it will take at least 4 years for that and honestly, I do not want to wait any longer. Not to mention I want to be a psychiatric nurse which will take at least another two years. I want to be relatively happy in my life, instead of being miserable. Yes, I have an Irish grandparent but it is so far back, it would not matter. I would be a mature student, which makes it more difficult since other collages in Ireland will not let me in. I am not 100% sure about the crime rate there being that I only have the reports in the articles, but it has to be better than being scared to walk out of my door everyday to go to the store or class. The things that I have been through in my short twenty-four years of life, is unimaginable. Sorry to be such a drag, but this is the state of my life, and I need to make it better. I know that moving to another country not knowing anybody there, is going to be hard but it is the same here. I would be there to stay.

Neyite

Crime rate in Galway is very low.

Rents however, can be quite high. As can the general cost of living here.

First you need a proper plan. Research the course, the entry routes. If you don't currently qualify, work towards that.

Look at what visa you need, then figure out how to qualify for that. Look at the types of jobs on offer in Galway and see what you could realistically apply for and get.

Right now, you seem to be certain of what you want to do, but not really clear about how you could achieve that, so maybe start with fact finding and look at the potential ways you could get what you want.

Wesser

It would be extremely difficult to work full time and also attend a very demanding fulltime degree...

niamh919

niamh919 wrote: »

Yes, I have an Irish grandparent but it is so far back, it would not matter.

If it is your parents parent you have a good chance of getting an Irish passport. If it is further back like a great-grandparent you are out of luck.

Moving abroad isn't going to solve all your problems and will introduce new ones. Have you considered moving within the states to somewhere nicer or smaller?

niamh919

Which is what I have done. For months, and I wish they would not make it so hard for a non-eu citizen to become one. If I go over there and my visa runs out, they will send me back. I can only work 20 hour a week job as a student, and they will not give me any assistance to pay for the classes which is 60 grand a year, which is still cheaper than most schools in the south. I even thought about going stateless, but it seems Ireland's "immigration" system does not know what to do with them. Per my research. and in all honesty, I would rather be stateless than be an American citizen. Iceland is the only one that will take in stateless and help them in that way. I feel like at a loss for what to do. It is not going to change moving to another state. It is only going to remind me that it is that much harder to get to my dream. Maybe I am running from all the things that have happened to me, but I need a new start away from all of this. And I know you may think it is stupid that I want to move to another country to get away from everything, but my heart will never stop telling me to live in the country of my ancestors and the place I visited when I was a child. Dingle.

njs030

niamh919 wrote: »

Which is what I have done. For months, and I wish they would not make it so hard for a non-eu citizen to become one. If I go over there and my visa runs out, they will send me back. I can only work 20 hour a week job as a student, and they will not give me any assistance to pay for the classes which is 60 grand a year, which is still cheaper than most schools in the south. I even thought about going stateless, but it seems Ireland's "immigration" system does not know what to do with them. Per my research. and in all honesty, I would rather be stateless than be an American citizen. Iceland is the only one that will take in stateless and help them in that way. I feel like at a loss for what to do. It is not going to change moving to another state. It is only going to remind me that it is that much harder to get to my dream. Maybe I am running from all the things that have happened to me, but I need a new start away from all of this. And I know you may think it is stupid that I want to move to another country to get away from everything, but my heart will never stop telling me to live in the country of my ancestors and the place I visited when I was a child. Dingle.

Dingle is in Kerry not in Galway

Really the best thing to do is to get your nursing degree and move to Ireland when you'd be able to get a job here.
There's no way round it if you can't afford the fees at the moment.

Ursus Horribilis

OP, are you sure you're not getting a bit carried away with The Quiet Man type whimsy here? How much do you actually know about Ireland apart from this holiday you took? Dingle is lovely but it's nothing like the rest of the country.

Your biggest problem by a long way will be money. Ireland is an expensive country to live in. Worse still, there is now a big problem with the cost and availability of places to rent. Have you priced what accommodation would cost, even in a house share? http://www.rent.ie/rooms-to-rent/ Also, just like in the USA there has been a race to the bottom when it comes to the pay & conditions of people in unskilled jobs. Have you sat down and worked out what rent you'd be likely to be paying? Or what you'd expect to earn - after tax- if you go flip burgers in McDonalds? It's also worth bearing in mind that new recruits into nursing aren't being paid as well as their predecessors.

niamh919

No I get it. I have priced it and it scares me. Maybe it is just a dream but I deserve better. No one will ever know who I am.. I grew up with being sexually abused and then when I was 17 raped when I took a friend home from school. And this ****ty system would not even prosecute when. I need to live in a place where I feel safe. And I want a family. And I ain't gonna have any children here if I have to stay. And that is all I want to do is raise my children up right and have a better life than I have had. I hate where I am living and so tired of being so scared of what is out my door. Thank you guys. I guess I will figure this out some how.

Ursus Horribilis

Can you not try moving to a different part of the country if you don't feel safe where you are? Or go north of the border into Canada?

niamh919

You really think Canada will be better? 7 grand is what I have saved.

Ursus Horribilis

7 grand won't get you too far in Ireland either...

niamh919

That is why I thought going to a university would help, but I can't work but only part time.

Airyfairy12

Have you looked into an Exchange programme? Ask in your college, they may be connected to some Irish Universities. it may just scratch that itch you have but trust me Ireland isnt all sheep, fiddles, pints and greenery its incredibly expensive.. so much so that huge numbers of people emigrate yearly to afford a decent standard of living. It rains all the time, its cold and our public transport is not only extortionately priced but its terrible aswell.

As for working here as a registered nurse/student nurse ... any hospital will give you a job without a seconds notice but be mindful of the fact that nurses in Ireland are treated like donkeys. Ill just leave this here.. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1952409585024092&id=1475393262725729
Not trying to turn you off, Ireland still has allot going for it but be aware of what you may or may not be getting yourself into. Irish people with good education and fulltime jobs cant even afford to live here.

If youre looking for somewhere safe, have you thought of maybe moving to another part of the states? maybe a small town or village? Or what about Canada? What about Hawaii? Thats a total change but not so much of a big uproot.

Ursus Horribilis

Did you ever seek professional help for those terrible experiences you had? It's obvious that you don't feel safe where you are but it looks like your feelings have been ramped up because of the sexual abuse and the rape. I haven't got a clue what services are available in the USA but I hope you've got the equivalent of the Rape Crisis Centre. I'm sorry that your attacker was never prosecuted for the rape. Unfortunately, our system in Ireland is little better. Only a small percentage of rapes ever reach a courtroom. Even then, the sentences handed down to the guilty ones can be ridiculously lenient.

niamh919

Yes, and I have been stable for over a year. They said it would get better but it has not, and I am still so scared of everyone. I'm not asking for a hand out, I just want a leg up to fight, which is what I have been doing my whole life anyways.

Neyite

I'm worried though that you might think that this is a fix for your issues - that if you go to this specific city, sign up to this specific university, and do this specific course, that this is the only way you'll feel safe and far away from the things that are causing you pain right now.

But it doesn't work like that. Our baggage comes too. A fresh start can help, as can a new place, and I get why you'd look at Galway and find it appealing. You are pinning your future on this one option and you really should allow for some variance.

I think what people - including me- on this thread are trying to suggest is to find stepping stones to your Irish nursing life - for example, if you went for nursing in the UK, the entry requirements are different to Irish ones, I know someone who failed to get into nursing here, but did it in the UK and course was structured differently in that they had paid clinical placement from the very first year of Uni. They did extra agency work to boost their earnings and got through the course without any loans. And maybe the visa system for the UK would work differently for you too?

It's only 30 mins of flight time between the countries, so you could visit often and move here then when you are qualified. I know with Brexit coming, that probably will have big implications on immigration, visas and international students so maybe studying nursing in Ulster might be an option?

https://www.ulster.ac.uk/faculties/life-and-health-sciences/schools/nursing

It's both part of Ireland, and the UK, so it has the UK nursing /university structure, but is still part of Ireland, and an easy drive or train ride to the republic.

Or, whatever you are studying now, get that degree and travel or get your visa based on that then once you are settled, look at ways to start your career change into nursing.

So maybe look at intermediate stepping stones to see where something could get you closer to being a nurse, then look into moving. As a qualified professional, you'd have a much better chance of being sponsored for a job here than an unskilled worker.

jimgoose

What part of the USA do you live in, OP? I agree with Neyite inasmuch as I think you're troubles will follow you to Dingle or Galway or anywhere else you might move to. You're going to find it exceedingly difficult to come to Ireland "cold" and with no support and get a good education and career.

LirW

OP, I moved to Ireland from mainland Europe, came here with my Irish partner. I was very realistic about it yet it was still a shock. Ireland is an expensive place to live in plus there is a serious housing crisis going on, so finding a place to live is a struggle for many. It's not unheard of places where they cram dozens of people in because people are desperate to find a place to stay.

Have to agree with Neyite's, she's bang on. Doing it in Ireland isn't your only option. There are a lot of other nice European countries where it would be a lot easier to get into nursing and you can still come to Ireland after you finished your degree. Hospitals are constantly looking for nurses. Make up your own mind about working conditions and pay here.

Also don't forget, you come to Europe. Europe is very different than Europe in plenty of regards and no matter how well you prepare you'll be in for quite a shock. The clocks run differently here. It starts with the fact that it's not European culture to work 2 jobs on top of your degree. Studying is expensive, people get it either funded with loans or plenty have help of their parents, monetary or they're living at home while attending university. A lot of them work part time, that is true but all within reason. Managing a full-time degree and part time work means you have your hands full.
There are other things to consider: food, activities, climate (it can be rough).
And something as a side note, I know it's a very american thing to have this thing with heritage. I know plenty of people have frenchgermannordicirishscottish heritage. Let's face it, it doesn't make you a bit Irish and people don't care about your heritage here. In their eyes you'll always be an American. Not that they'll be hostile, people here are nice and genuinely interested you'll be seen as American. Europe doesn't care about heritage and plenty of people think this is a bit of a weird one to bring up.

If you plan on a long term stay and want to stay in an urban area, renting is something that people don't do here for long periods of time (more commonly now but the people are obsessed with buying property because the rental market is a sh1thole). Property is very expensive and unless you earn good money you'll most likely buy in a commuter town and the state of the traffic infrastructure is a sad one.

You need to do a lot of realistic research about housing, living cost, infrastructure and realistic chances to access university. The better prepared you are the less of a shock it will be.

Ireland is a nice place to live but it's not all ponies and roses and it has its issues.
Explore your options, Ireland isn't the only nice country in Europe with university.
And you'll have higher university fees as American citizen anywhere you go, that's unfortunately the way it is.