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| The very polite Canadians have done better by the Irish than the Yanks have for a long while. (Wiki commons) |
The Irish left home in droves in the 1840s because the English, coupled with potato blight, were trying to starve them out.
A Celt will soon be as rare on the banks of the Shannon as the red man on the banks of Manhattan.- The Times, editorial, 1848Financial blight
These days, they're leaving again because a concatenation of greedy American bankers began a blight on the world's currency the like of which has not been seen before. But help, at least a bit and unfortunately of the same sort as before (involving long-distance moves) is at hand. Canada is offering to fast-track a large number of Irish workers for permanent resident status. And this time, at least, the Irish are not expected to slave as domestics or endanger themselves as mine and railway workers in less-than-decent conditions Indeed, the job titles to be filled include: electrical journeypersons, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, rebar installers, truck drivers, welders, parts persons, painters, machinists, plumbers, electricians, carpenters,
production support technologists, geographic information specialists, fabricators, labourers, process managers, safety officers, and nurses.
Find out more about the program here.
Canada is willing to fast-track permanent residency status, which means that the Irish workers would eventually have a choice of remaining in Canada, or returning to Ireland. Such returnees used to be called “returned Yanks,” but Yankee-land isn’t hospitable anymore, even to the well-educated Irish. Looks as if “returned Canuck” is going to be the phrase of the future.
US steps up immigration possibilities for Irish?
Well, maybe not so much. Congress is currently considering an E3 Visa for Irish workers who wish to work in the US. There is a catch, though, and one that's very reminiscent of the situation in the 1950s, when everyone ad their uncle had someone looking for sponsorship. According to IrishCentral website:
Those eligible to apply for an E-3 visa must first have a job offer from an American employer, and the position must be considered a 'specialty occupation,' – i.e., one in which a bachelor’s degree would be required as a minimum.
