New joint visa initiative will help attract business investment from China and India – English

Fine Gael Meath West TD and Chairman of the Oireachtas Jobs Committee, Damien English, has welcomed the launch of a new joint visa initiative between Ireland and the UK which will allow visitors from China and India to travel freely between the two countries on a single visa.

The initiative has been launched by the Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald TD.

“This will have an obvious advantage for tourists coming here from China and India, but it will also provide an incentive for business travellers to come to Ireland, as well as the UK. China and India are key growth markets for us, and making it easier for Chinese and Indian businesspeople to come here can only be seen as a positive.

“As well as making it easier for potential investors to come here and check out what we have to offer, the new visa arrangements will also help to open up channels of communication for Irish companies hoping to export to the Chinese and Indian markets.

“At the moment, many business visitors who wish to visit both Ireland and the UK, including Northern Ireland, need separate Irish and UK visas. Now, the system will be streamlined and much more efficient.

“China and India are just the first two countries to benefit from this new arrangement and it is hoped other countries can be included in the future.

“This initiative will be good for business, good for investment and good for job creation.”

ENDS