Hezekiah Oluwadele, a 29-year-old Nigerian came to study in Ireland in January 2018. It was a dream come true for him. He thought he would settle down well in Ireland, but according to him, “it was very different than I imagined it”.
When moving to a developed country such as Ireland, one could imagine that the opportunities are limitless. Ireland is fast becoming a study destination for students. According to a study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), more international students are travelling to Ireland for third-level education than before.
Caption: man looking devastated
Photo credit: Pabak Sarkar/ Flickr Creative Commons
“I chose Ireland because it is a cultural friendly country, it is the only English-speaking country in the European Union apart from the UK, and also because of the two years stay after studies”, Hezekiah said.
Ireland gives non-EU/EEA students completing a bachelor’s programme a stay back option of 12 months while giving students completing master’s or PhD 24 months on Graduate visa (1G) to enable them to look for employment. To stay beyond this period, a graduate must secure an employment permit from an employer.
Hezekiah has had a challenging time getting a professional job since he graduated from school.
“I knew it could be tricky getting jobs, but I thought that studying an MSc will give me an edge in my field; but after that, it has been a complete disaster. It has been very tough”.
The Griffith College graduate studied a master’s programme in International Business, with the option of Hospitality and Tourism. He currently works as a general operative to make ends meet. A job which he describes as a “manual job”.
Hezekiah has had his share of job-hunting woes. “Sometimes recruiters tell you that you are overqualified, sometimes they require for experience for a graduate role”, he said.
Graduate programmes are usually entry-level positions offered to graduates. According to graduateland.com “recruitment is often rigorous and long. The reason being that graduate programmes are used by companies to attract highly competent graduates with great promise, investing in a long-term vision of these individuals as future leaders and specialists within the organisation.”
Hezekiah said he tried securing an internship to boost his chances of getting a job, but he said it was “difficult”. He observed out that year(s) of experience and type of work permit carried by non-EU jobseekers serve as determining factors for finding a job in Ireland.
“When you are in school, people tell you that when you get the Stamp 1G you will find a better job. Now I am on Stamp 1G, I am still unable to get a good job.” According to Hezekiah, “some recruiters specifically request for Stamp 4 holders. Not every employer will go through the process of helping a jobseeker get a work permit”.
Stamp 4 gives permission to live and work in Ireland without an employment permit.
Hezekiah has since stopped applying for jobs due to rejections and frustration. “Many times, I have gone for interviews. Some recruiters before the interview or after say they can’t take me because I have a stamp 1G. It’s not just me, there are many of my friends going through the same stress.”
If given a second chance, Hezekiah said he “wouldn’t come to Ireland. I was doing quite well in Nigeria before.”
Non-EU/EEA students pay between €8,000 to €25,000 to study in Ireland, depending on their course.
Sham marriage
Another graduate in a similar situation Is Priyanka Subashini, a graduate of Event Management from Technological University Dublin. Priyanka is currently in the second year of her stay-back permit.
She has less than four months to leave Ireland if she does not secure a work permit. She is working as a waitress in a hotel but is unable to secure a permit as her job is ineligible for a work permit. She expresses her fear of going back to India. “If I return home, I will be going home to nothing. My parents used their pension funds to send me to study here. Going back will be a disappointment”.
The 24-year-old has been asked to enter a sham marriage to secure her stay in Ireland. “Some of my friends have married Irish and Europeans to stay back. I have been asked to do the same. I do not wish to marry someone just to stay back here”, Priyanka said.
“If I will go back home, I will use the money I have saved overtime to start a business”.
The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) state a list of occupations eligible and ineligible occupations for employment permit. Non-EU/EEA Graduates of occupations that fall under the ineligible category must go back to their home country if they cannot get a work permit.
Intending non-EEA/EU students wishing to stay back in Ireland should consider their course choices carefully.
As for Hezekiah and Priyanka, their lives might not have turned out as they planned, but it sure will never be the same whether they get to stay or leave eventually.
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