International Students Coming to Ireland – Everything you Need to Know

International Students Coming to Ireland:  Everything you Need to Know

Where do they come from?

The biggest increase has been international students from other EU states, jumping from 1,934 in 2017 to 6,383 in 2022.

 

According to the Irish Times, the total number of full-time, non-EEA international students reached nearly 18,500 in 2018. The Irish Higher Education Authority (HEA) states that the main non-EEA sending countries for Ireland are the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Canada. Asia sends the largest share of students (43% as of 2017/18), followed by North America (30%), and the EU (20%).

 

As reported by this report, applications from British students increased by 9 per cent this year. In 2021, Ireland was home to 25,000 international students. India is the second-biggest source of international students on the island. 

 

International Students Coming to Ireland:  Everything you Need to Know
Photo by Javier Trueba on Unsplash

Top tips for International Students arriving to Ireland

Rental scams

September has approached, and students are heading back to college. The rental market has never been busier. With the surge in demand for accommodation, hopeful tenants are being advised to be cautious of a variety of rental scams.  HomeHak has put together some useful information about scams related to renting.

Bank account

One of the first things you should do is open a student bank account. Each university usually has a banking partner on campus.

Budgeting for international students

To enable you to enjoy your university experience to the fullest, you need to learn to manage your money correctly. One of the biggest ways to save money in university is through your grocery shopping. As an international student in Ireland, you can enjoy a range of great discounts and savings. These will make your finances easier to manage.

Shopping and discounts

Ireland has several student discount cards. They range from freebies to money off. Below, we list the cards we recommend adding to your student wallet.

 

iConnect Card

    – You can save up to €450 on MacBook iPad ranges with a valid third-level student card.

>Student Leap Card

    – Ireland’s primary student travel card.

ISIC Card

    – ISIC has been the mainstay discount card for international students for over 50 years. They offer exclusive discounts on a vast range of products and services in over 125 countries.

Affordable Supermarkets

Grocery shopping will eat up a large part of your student budget. It pays to shop around to find the cheapest supermarket in your local area. Here, we list the supermarkets that are the cheapest.

 

SuperValu

Dunnes Stores

Tesco

Lidl

Aldi

Manage your time

As you settle into the swing of things, your time in Ireland is going to fly by. Plan Your Next Adventure with Discover Ireland.

Ireland’s Weather

Ireland is the type of place where you can experience the four seasons in one day. Ensure to pack wisely for cold, warm and wet days.

 

HomeHak International students
Photo by Erik Witsoe on Unsplash

Student Travel Card

A student travel card will get you discounts on your travel throughout Ireland. Also, giving you great savings is the Student Leap Card.

 

For more information on these tips, check out our article International Students Studying in Irish Universities Top Tips.

Embassies 

Full details of all Diplomatic Missions in Ireland or accredited to Ireland on a non-resident basis can be found in the link below. This has been issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs. It includes information on the index of missions and representations accredited to Ireland. Diplomatic List July 2022

Irish Banks

To open an Irish bank account as an international student, you will need:

    • Valid passport/ID card

Certificate of Attendance

These are Bank of Ireland, Allied Irish Banks and Ulster Bank. Each offers a student account with differing service fees and added extras.

Mobile phone

Ireland has a reliable phone network. The country is covered by several major network providers. There are a number of options available to you, depending on your budget and requirements. These include a fixed-term contract, sim-only plan or pay-as-you-go tariff.

 

The main operators we’d recommend in Ireland are

Healthcare

The INIS visa service offers information on the process of finding health insurance in Ireland. On average, health insurance for international students costs around €100 – €120 per annum.

Working in Ireland

Here are the conditions you need to be aware of:

EU Students

    If you’re travelling from the EU, you can work in Ireland without registering for a GNIB card.

Non-EU Students

  • Non-EU students can seek casual work of up to 20 hours a week during term-time, provided they have a card. In June, July, August and September, non-EU students can work up to 40 hours per week.
    You cannot work in Ireland if your course is under six months in length.

 

Start with the university careers portal. These list a range of term-time positions available on and off campus. Then, check job sites such as Monster, Jobs and Irish Jobs. Distribute your CV to local businesses, as not all positions are advertised online.

 

Why use a Tenant CV?

  1. It’s an easy-to-read document.
  2. HomeHak tenant CV shows off information a landlord would need to know.  Head to our article What is a Tenant CV? for more information.
  3. It promotes you as a suitable tenant.
  4. A tenant CV takes some frustration out of the rental application process.
  5. It provides all valuable and essential information for the homeowner upfront. Check out our article on 6 Reasons to Use a Tenant CV.

Landlord References

A landlord recommendation letter (rental reference) is an crucial component of your rental application. In a competitive rental market, a good reference can make a huge difference. Check out our article Importance Of a Reference for Irish University Student Accommodation.

Important links for international students

www.fas.ie

www.jobs.ie

www.argus.ie

www.Jobted.ie

Revenue office

www.revenue.ie

Safety 

www.garda.ie

Irish Newspapers 

www.independent.ie

www.ireland.com

www.irishtimes.com

www.independent.ie

www.irishexaminer.com

Travel in Ireland

www.discoverireland.com/ire

Irish Council for International Students

www.internationalstudents.ie

Link to University websites In Ireland For International Students

Trinity College Of Trinity

University College Dublin

University College Cork

Dublin City University

Technological University Dublin

University Of Limerick

Maynooth University

Galway National University Of Ireland

Athlone Institute Of Technology

Carlow Technology Institute

Dundalk Technology Institute

Limerick Institute Of Technology

Letterkenny Institute Of Technology

Waterford Institute Of Technology

Cork Institute Of Technology

Sligo Technology Institute

Institute Of Technology, Tralee

Dublin Business School

Griffith College Dublin

Useful articles for international students

Study in Ireland: A Guide for International Students

International Students

Student visas to study in Ireland

Study in Ireland

Top recommended websites for international students 

Irish Council for International Students

Irish Universities Association

Citizens Information

Education in Ireland

Embassy World

The Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service

Google Maps

 

LinkedIn – Why this is the Key Ingredient for Irish University Students

LinkedIn in Irish universities

LinkedIn – Why this is the Key Ingredient for Irish University Students

LinkedIn is like being on social media and advancing your future career prospects. HomeHak is going to explore why this social network matters as a student. If you are a student, here are some of the reasons why you should be on it.

Getting Job Email Alerts

Firstly, once you have created your professional profile on LinkedIn, you can set email alerts to receive notifications of recommended jobs. Secondly, students and jobseekers will be able to see the notifications on their homepage as soon as they log into their LinkedIn accounts.

Connecting with Professionals

If you have a look at LinkedIn, you’ll be surprised to find out the large number of professionals who choose to connect here. In fact, you can find your friends, co-workers, colleagues, classmates and family members on this platform. Consequently, it’s never a tough job connecting with them all. What’s more, you can even import your email list to find out who among your friends is present on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn in Irish Universities - HomeHak
Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash

Conducting Company Research   

One of the biggest benefits LinkedIn offers college students and jobseekers is that they can check out the pages of their targeted employers. By visiting company, pages, you can conduct a research on the whereabouts of the company, the hiring process and what people have to say about that organization. This kind of company research on LinkedIn can always keep a stay ahead of your competition and increases your employability.

Getting Recommendations

What’s more, LinkedIn also offers a feature through which you can get other people to recommend you. People with a maximum number of recommendations have a great chance of attracting the employers’ attention. College students too can try to get as many recommendations as possible to increase their employability.

Letting Companies Find You

Today, a large number of organizations look for talented candidates on social networking platforms like LinkedIn. If you have created a good and detailed professional profile, chances are you will attract employer’s attention. And it would really be nice to be invited by companies for your job position you always wanted to occupy.

Connecting with Other Students

Furthermore, college students can also use LinkedIn to network with other students. This type of networking gives a wonderful opportunity to find out how other college graduates found a job or got hired by an employer.

Check this article out to learn more about how to stay organised as a student in an Irish University.

To summarise

It’s about time that college students too created their profiles.It is time to start to use this social media platform for connecting with professionals. To conclude, prepare yourself as early as possible. You can easily stay ahead of your competition when it comes to landing a job of your interest. For more reasons to be on LinkedIn, check out this article.

Choosing your Housemates at Irish University – Best Tips

Housemates

Moving out of home and taking your first step towards independence can be exciting but also a bit of a minefield. It is important to thread carefully if you want to make accommodation sharing work. Here are HomeHaks top tips to help you in choosing your housemates at Irish University.

 

Make poor choices and you could find yourself falling out over dirty bins and dishes. Pick well and you will have so much fun and make lifelong friends. Don’t know how to go about picking housemates? 

 

Housemates
Photo by Wasa Crispbread on Unsplash

Know the sort of people you think you will get on with

Looking for housemates is a bit like online dating. You need to go into it knowing what you’re looking for and make that clear from the get-go. If you think you’ve found a potential match, ask your prospective house-sharer some questions. This is to see just how compatible you might be. Don’t make them feel it’s an interrogation. You just need to get a feel for what they’re going to be like once you’ve moved in together.

 

People can be very different once the front door is shut. Get to know them better before you agree to go house-hunting. This could spare you a lot of grief further down the line. Here are 30 questions to ask a roommate before moving in together. 

 

Get ahead of the competition

Don’t put off until tomorrow something you could do today. There’s always fierce competition for the best houses and apartments in university cities. If you want to stand a chance of finding nice housemates and a nice place to live, then it’s never too early to start.

 

You’d be amazed how many people leave it until the very last minute to decide on who they’re sharing with and where they’re going to look for houses. If you want to end up living in housemate heaven rather than housemate hell, you need to start broaching the subject with people as early in the spring term. This is so you can start arranging to view a few properties together. This article gives some more tips on starting your search early.

 

Choosing your housemates – Same course or different?

Sometimes living with the people you ‘work’ with isn’t always the best move.  You’re probably most familiar and friendly with the people doing the same course or modules as you but remember that everyone needs some space now and then. If you’re living with the same people you’re in seminars with day in, day out, you might get sick of each other’s company very quickly.

 

Try to have a mix in your house if you can – not only does it widen your social circle but it can broaden your mind. If people are studying different courses to you, you’ll each learn something about the other’s subjects. You’ll also be forced to find other things you can bond over, such as societies, hobbies or even your shared love of obscure foreign language films…

 

Set house rules from the start

Almost all household disagreements are avoidable in some way. You need to set out a few ground rules right at the beginning.  Before you agree to move in with other people, you need to make sure they’re the sort of housemates you can trust.

 

Chat with them and decide how to carve out who will organise things like paying the bills and how the rent will be managed. Pencilling a schedule for cleaning and cooking before you move in together will give you a good idea of whether or not they’re likely to pull their weight. If they look like they’re shirking responsibility, then maybe you need to look for someone else.

The following article is designed to help you and your roommate(s) establish guidelines for while you are living together.

 

To summarise

If a house share is going to be a success you need to know you’ll all get along and it’s not going to descend into chaos. Try to spend as much time as possible getting to know each other before you commit to moving in together. House sharing is a nightmare when it doesn’t work out but choose your housemates carefully and you could have a fantastic couple of years.

6 Reasons to Use A Tenant CV

landlord signing agreement

Struggling to find a home in today’s competitive rental market? In this guide, we will show you why using a Tenant CV will give your a competitive edge over other applicants.

 

Finding a new home can be as important as scoring your dream job. It’s your base where you go to unwind, recharge your batteries and steel yourself to take on the world outside. Your home is your sanctuary where you should feel safe and where memories are made and shared. It is a representation of you. You deserve a big say in where you are going to live! So how can you influence where you live and avoid wasting time on tenant application forms for properties that don’t suit you?

 

Take control with a  Tenant CV that will help you put your best self forward, get noticed and secure the dream home that will suit your lifestyle. 

 

A good Tenant CV is a profile that expresses your attributes when searching for a new home and promotes you as a suitable tenant. A great Tenant CV goes further by including your particular requirements in a home. This takes some frustration out of the rental application process. Providing all useful and essential information for the homeowner upfront. while also outlining your own needs.

 

Many of us are familiar with the famous quote “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”.  Here are our top 6 reasons to prepare yourself for a competitive rental market with a Tenant CV. One that that best reflects you and what you need in a home.

 

tenant-cv-rental-application-new-home

 

6 Ways A Tenant CV Can Aid Your House-Hunting

1. Define Your Needs

If you don’t want to join the 59% of people that find it difficult to find a suitable home, you can start by reflecting on and defining your needs. By identifying what is most important to you, you can skip the frustration and waste of time on pointless viewings. Ask yourself questions, do you want to be close to work? Do you need a garden? Are there any amenities that are essential to you?; and then make it known on your Tenant CV. If something really is important to you then make it clear. Great homeowners value long term tenancies with good tenants and if they can accommodate you, more often than not they will.

 

2. Express Yourself & Stand Out

Once you have defined your criteria for a home, it’s time to show the agents and homeowners why you are the best candidate. A Tenant CV simply puts more power in your hands. It enables you to present yourself beyond the restraints of a standard tenant application. A profile of yourself with your living objectives will convey your individuality. It helps the reader understand what type of tenant you are likely to be. If you’re comfortable with it and you’re using an online Tenant CV tool, include a short video to showcase your personality. 

 

Homeowners look for evidence they can trust the people renting their property.  An impressive Tenant CV is your best opportunity to present your evidence and separate yourself from the crowd, so you get selected ahead of your competition.

 

3. Demonstrate Trustworthiness & Organisation Skills 

For homeowners and letting agents, the top priority is to find someone who is going to look after the property and pay the rent reliably on time. According to a survey conducted by DKM Consultants in 2014 for the RTB, some primary reasons agents choose not to rent to tenants in Ireland are because they are worried about property damage, rent being paid on time, or they don’t trust the applicant. Selecting the right tenant has a lot to do with human nature and finding reasons to like somebody. 

 

Preparing a great Tenant CV allows you to demonstrate that you are an organised responsible person by answering key questions and providing relevant information. Not only can a resume showcase your ability to care for a property, but it can also demonstrate your ability to pay.  Paying bills on time and maintaining order requires you to be on top of things. What’s more, you can also include any written references in your Tenant CV.

 

4. Address Potential Doubts About Your Tenant Application

Have you ever been in a situation where you feel an explanation will help people to understand you, but you don’t have the chance to get your point across? A Tenant CV is a means to explain things that might otherwise be perceived as negative in your application. Some examples are changing jobs, relocating often, or perhaps being a first-time renter. Being a first-time renter can be a positive thing, as it’s your chance to kick-start an excellent rental history.  The Tenant CV is a great tool to explain peculiarities like this in your objectives to a potential homeowner.

 

5. Save Time

Oftentimes homeowners and agents will invite the first 20 ad respondents to a property Viewing. You need to be fast if a great property pops up on a property website. Having all your key information on hand will help to submit an application ASAP!

 

A Tenant CV prepared in advance greatly simplifies and accelerates this process. Usually, homeowners are happy to accept a good tenant CV, as long as the information is true and the references stack up. You can shine even further by including pre-written references and getting your identity independently verified in advance. This will reduce time on tenant background checks and increase your chances of being selected. Make the landlord or agent job easier when it comes to narrowing down applications and they will look kindly on you.

 

In addition to streamlining the application process, outlining your wants and needs in a home on your Tenant CV means that you can save time viewing unsuitable properties. 

 

6. Turn Competition Into An Opportunity

It’s no secret that house and apartment hunting can be competitive, but considering the above, you can use competition to your advantage! You just need to take the initiative to put yourself on top. Whether you’re a 1st time, or 10th-time renter, being prepared and taking measures to stand out will help establish yourself as an impressive candidate. It’s like applying for that dream job if you’re proactive and go above and beyond; you should validate why you should be chosen. 

 

landlord signing agreement

Tenant CVs: The Key Takeaways

In this guide, we have looked at how rental resumes allow you to define your needs, express yourself, demonstrate trustworthiness, explain doubts, save time and get ahead of the competition. It’s clear that a Tenant CV is a tool that will give you a competitive edge when searching for your new home.

 

Like practising for a job interview, those that are prepared are more likely to succeed than those that aren’t. There’s no doubt that securing viewings or a lease can be challenging; but by having a Tenant CV on hand, you can be more prepared than others. A strong Tenant CV will impress agents and homeowners and ensure you stand out in a pile of applications. 

 

The sooner you find a home that’s right for you, the sooner you can start living and be happy!

 

 

 

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