Answering all your questions about studying English in Ireland
Hello! If you’ve found your way to this blog, you’re probably considering a work-study visa or gap year abroad. There are so many different options available – choosing which one can be a difficult decision!
This blog is to give you some advice and guidance, and to help you decide whether an English language work-study visa in Dublin could be the right choice for you.
We will go through everything from picking the right school, finding a job, securing accommodation as well as all the great benefits of embarking on a work-study visa.
Table of Contents
First things first, what is a work-study visa?
Simply put, it’s a visa that allows you to work in Ireland while you study English. The visa lasts 8 months in total – 25 weeks of which is studying and 8 weeks are holidays where you can explore Ireland and other European countries!
Most English language schools will offer study options in both the morning and afternoon – either 15 hours per week or 20 hours per week. At Everest Language School, we offer a 20-hour per week program in the morning that runs from 9 AM to 1:10 PM, Monday to Friday, or the afternoon option that runs from 1:50 PM to 5 PM, Monday to Friday, which totals 15 hours per week.
Whilst you study you will be entitled to work for 20 hours per week. If you are here from June to September or the Christmas break you will be able to work for 40 hours during this period.
You will learn lots of English in your classroom, and with the added benefit of being able to work you will be able to apply your new language skills to a real world environment.
Although the work-study visa is just 8 months, you can renew it 2 more times and stay in Ireland for 2 years in total. Many students even stay longer if they get job sponsorship or go to university.
How do I get a work-study visa?
What if I’m from a visa-required country?
Why choose Everest Language School?
Dublin has lots and lots of English Language Schools, so deciding which one can be a bit overwhelming!
Each school in Dublin has their own unique offerings for students, and you should always do your research and choose a school that is the best fit for you.
We’d love for you to consider choosing Everest Language and here’s what we can offer you!
- We are 100% teacher owned. This is very unique in Dublin and it means all of our classes are created by highly experienced teachers which makes the classes dynamic, interactive and you won’t be sitting in class following the same book for 6 months!
- We’re centrally located – we are based in the very centre of Dublin, right beside Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural hub. The school is very easy to get to and served by all of Dublin’s public transport options.
- We are a relatively small school. There is a real family vibe in our school, and being small allows us to give all of our students the attention they need from both our administrative staff and teacher. As we are a small school we also have the benefit of having a very diverse nationality mix, we have students from France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Korea, Russia, Mexico, Chile, Brazil etc….
- We have great feedback from students and a 4.9 rating on Google.
- We have competitive pricing. Some schools are less expensive than ours and some are much more expensive.We know it’s a big expense and we try to keep our pricing as affordable as possible, whilst maintaining the highest quality of service and teaching.
- We have wonderful social activities. Our social program manager is always making sure that there are plenty of events outside of the classroom that you can meet other students and explore what Dublin has to offer! This includes party nights to Dublin’s pubs and clubs, cultural trips such as the Guinness Store House and museums, in house events such as movie nights, CV & Interview workshops, conversational classes, day trips to other cities in Ireland such as Galway, Belfast and Wicklow and much much more.
- Last but not least, we really care! We know that moving abroad can be a daunting experience, and things don’t always go perfectly to plan. Our dedicated staff are always available to support you in whatever challenges you might face and our job is to ensure you have the best experience possible and that you thrive academically, professionally and socially whilst you are here.
Why Choose Dublin & Ireland?
- If you Google top 10 friendliest cities in the world, you’ll be sure to find Dublin up near the top spot on nearly every list.
- Dublin is really multicultural – even though you might be far from home, if you’re ever feeling homesick, you’re sure to find many other students from your native country here too! So much so we even have shops that are solely dedicated to selling Brazilian products.
- Jobs are easy to find! Ireland is at its all time high record of employment at the moment (2024). There are loads of hospitality jobs in the city for students, and you don’t need perfect English skills to apply.
- You’re close to everything else – because Ireland is a small country, whatever city you choose to study in, if you want to go explore the rest of Ireland, the trips don’t take long and can often be done over a weekend. There are beach towns all down the coast of Dublin, if you’re brave enough to swim in the cold sea here!
- We’re part of the European Union. Understandably, many students first thought when thinking about going to learn English is to go to the UK. However since Brexit and the UK exiting the EU, obtaining a visa to go to the UK has become increasingly difficult. Getting a work-study visa to Ireland is much easier – and you’ll be able to visit freely to other European countries if you choose Ireland.
- We’ve got some of the best pubs in the world – so if you want to go and try your first taste of Guiness, you’ve literally got 100’s of options to choose from!
Things to be cautious about
- Cost of living: Like many cities across Europe and the world, the cost of living has increased. As part of your study visa you will need to be able to show that you have €4200 to support yourself.
- Accommodation can take a little while to find in Dublin. Everest Language School provides a range of accommodation options for our students. Most students who come on the work-study program book a few weeks or months in the school’s accommodation to allow time to search for their own place! Many agencies we work with can provide accommodation for you too.
- The weather: weather is very unpredictable in Ireland – you can go through four different seasons in just one day. Just because it’s sunny in the morning, it’s no guarantee it won’t be lashing rain by lunchtime!
What are the benefits of doing a work-study visa?
- English is the number one spoken language in the world. Learning English will open up so many opportunities for you – whether it be professionally, socially or if you wish to travel or go to university.
- You will learn invaluable skills in both the classroom and outside of the classroom.
- You will get to experience an entirely different culture, make lasting friendships with people from all over the world and learn to the view the world from different perspectives
- You will create inner confidence and learn to overcome challenges independently.
- You’ll gain experience working in English speaking environments, making you much more employable
Still have questions?
If you have any questions about our work-study visa program please contact us at info@everestlanguageschool.com or you can call us on 00353-1-559-4919
You can visit our website at everestlanguageschool.com and check our work-study visa options.
A member of our team would be more than happy to answer any questions you have and support you through every step of the process.
