VisaFirst.com, Ireland’s leading migration agent, says that while 2012 saw some changes in the demographic of the typical Irish worker travelling to destinations such as Australia, New Zealand, the US, and Canada – one factor has remained constant – the numbers looking to leave the country are increasing year on year. VisaFirst.com released figures from its Irish customer database report for 2012 which show that, similar to the previous year, the ratio of males to females remains at 60:40, while the average age of visa applicants overall has risen from 29 to 32 years.
Commenting on the report Edwina Shanahan, manager at www.visafirst.com, said: “The increase in the average age is interesting as it’s quite a big jump. The difficult work environment in Ireland is a primary driver here – in January of 2013 there were 12,928 people on the live register in Mayo. Unemployment is not just affecting the young and newly qualified—it’s taking its toll of people of all ages and all levels of expertise. The age jump may also have something to do with the fact that spousal applications are also on the rise—the number of spousal applications for Australia doubled last year. More and more families are seeing emigration as a better, if not their only, financially viable option.”
