A breakdown of the number of Irish visas issued to Chinese nationals for the years 2010 to 2014 is provided as follows. The figures show an overall increase of 31% in visas issued in 2014 compared to 2010.
The 'visit' visa category includes short-term visas for those who wish to visit family or friends as well as those who wish to visit as independent holiday-makers. I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that it is not possible to distinguish between tourist visit visas and visas to visit family or friends.
Visa Category
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
Business
|
2689
|
2846
|
2970
|
2668
|
2698
|
Visit
|
2829
|
3391
|
3228
|
3857
|
4504
|
Employment/internship
|
50
|
54
|
78
|
66
|
233
|
Study
|
1159
|
1118
|
1276
|
1392
|
1378
|