Immigration permission to work in Ireland
Below are two of the most common routes to get sponsorship for work.
Critical Skills Employment Permit
The Critical Skills Employment Permit visa category has been designed for highly skilled candidates who wish to come to Ireland to work in key roles identified as being in short supply in the Irish job market.
Some of the roles within this category include IT professionals, engineers, scientists, health professionals, researchers, and statisticians.
Because there is a skills shortage, employers are not required to undertake a Labour Market Needs Test for these roles.
Another benefit of this permit is that it allows for relatively straightforward family reunification for dependent family members. Eligible family members will then be allowed to work.
General Employment Visa
The General Employment Visa has been designed for all occupations not on the critical skills occupation list or the ineligible occupations list.
In most cases, the role must pay a salary of at least €30,000, except in some circ*mstances. Employers must be registered with the appropriate Revenue Commissioner and Companies Registration Office.
In most cases, before sponsoring a non-EEA individual, employers will need to conduct a Labour Market Needs Test to ensure that the job cannot be offered to existing candidates already in Ireland.
As well as this, the individual applying for the visa must successfully demonstrate that they possess the relevant qualifications, skills and experience level required for the role.
How can I get immigration stamps to work in Ireland?
If you intend to come to Ireland for work purposes and you are from outside the EU or UK, you will be required to apply for the relevant immigration permission (also known as immigration stamps placed in your passport).
The visa system is divided into a number of different stamps that relate to different conditions of stay.
Stamp 4 permissions
This stamp is one of the most popular immigration permissions. Many foreign nationals apply for Stamp 4 permission as it counts towards reckonable time spent in the country if the applicant wishes to apply for Irish citizenship.
Further, the Stamp 4 holder does not need to apply for an employment permit in order to work in Ireland.
The holder is allowed to work for an organisation, be self-employed, set up a business, or study on a course.
To obtain a Stamp 4 permission one of the following should apply to your case:
- You are married to or in a civil partnership with an Irish citizen
- You are an unmarried (de facto) partner of an Irish citizen
- You have a child who is an Irish citizen
- You hold refugee or subsidiary protection status
- You qualify for family reunification with a person granted refugee or subsidiary protection status
- You have been granted humanitarian leave to remain
- You have successfully applied for the Immigrant Investor Programme
- You have successfully applied for the Start-Up Entrepreneur Programme
- You have held a Critical Skills Employment Permit for at least 21 months
- You have held a General Employment Permit for at least five years
Other stamps to work in Ireland
If you are ineligible to apply for a Stamp 4 permission based on your personal circ*mstances, you may still be able to apply for other stamps.
If you are in any doubt, it is recommended to consult with a qualified immigration lawyer who can advise you on the best approach for your situation.
Some of the following permissions may apply to your circ*mstances:
Stamp 1: Issued to individuals who intend to travel to Ireland on a temporary basis and who have been granted permission to work or operate a business, or alternatively, if you have been granted Working Holiday Authorisation
Stamp 1G: Allows individuals who have graduated from a degree course at Level 8 or above on the National Framework for Qualifications. Allows holders to work under some limited conditions (e.g., maximum 40 hours per week)
Stamp 2: Allows students on some eligible courses to work under some limited conditions
