Ireland Work VISA

All non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who want to work in Ireland will need a work permit from the Irish immigration authorities to legally work in the country. Citizens of a few countries require a visa to enter and stay in Ireland in the first place. Work permits and work visas are issued by different authorities designated for this purpose.

There are 3 steps in obtaining a work visa in Ireland if you belong to a country whose citizens are subject to Irish visas to enter Ireland:

1. Search a full-time job in Ireland

2. Apply for an Ireland work permit from the Department of Business, Enterprise, and Innovation(DEBI)

3. Once you have received a work permit you have to apply to INIS (the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service) for obtaining a work visa if you plan to stay longer than 3 months.

 

Irrespective of the country you come from every individual has to enter the country through Border Control.

 

Types of work permits and visas in Ireland.

There are 9 different types of Ireland employment permits.

 

 

1. Critical Skills Employment Permit

This permit is open for highly-skilled international workers, to fill in related positions in certain skilled professions. The occupations under the critical skills employment permit are Engineering. Health, Architecture, Natural Sciences, ICT, Education, etc.

The DEBI has listed these professions on its website. Unlike many other European nations, Irish employers are waived from taking the ‘labor market needs test’ before hiring international workers for critical skilled jobs.

 

2. General Employment Permit

This type of employment permit is available to general category occupations that are nor in the ‘eligible occupations list for skilled workers’ and neither in the list of ‘ineligible categories for employments permits’ in Ireland.

 

3. Family Member Employment Permit

Family member employment permit covers spouses, partners, or other dependents of a Critical Skills Employment Permit Holder. They can apply for this permit to legally work in Ireland. This free of charge application, when covered by a critical skills employment permit, will let you work in any profession except as a domestic operative.

4. Intra-Company Transfer Job Permit

This type of permit allows foreign workers who want to come to Ireland to work in a branch office or regional office of his employer company from any other country. Senior management, trainees and skilled personnel are considered eligible for this permit.

5. Internship Permit

Also known as the Ireland internship employment permit, it allows foreign students enrolled in any full-time program at a third level educational institution outside Ireland to participate in an internship program in Ireland. It is issued for 12 months and cannot be extended or renewed for a further period.

6. A contract for Services Employment Permit

It is available for foreign employees employed by a foreign corporation, but want to work in Ireland for their employer. The employer must have signed a contract with an Irish national or Irish entity.

7. Sport and Cultural work permit

The Ireland sport and cultural employment permits are available to foreign citizens with skills, experience, knowledge, and qualifications in these fields. They have to prove their potential for value addition to these fields in Ireland.

 

8. Exchange Agreement Employment Permit

The exchange agreement permit is issued to foreign employees who want to work in Ireland under an international exchange agreement. Ireland should be a part of this agreement.

 

9. Reactivation Employment Permit

This work permit is granted to former employment permit holders who are victims of workplace abuse or exploitation and they have lost their previous job for the same reason.

 

Students working in Ireland

International students do not require a work permit to work in Ireland if:

A) They are enrolled in a full-time course lasting at least 1 year and;

B) It is a qualification recognized by the Irish Department of Education and Skills

Students who are on a valid immigration stamp 2 permission can work for 40 hours per week in the months of June, July, August, and September and from 15th December to 15th January. Except for these months, they can work for only 20 hours per week.

Degree level students can find work when they:

 i)  Register themselves with GNIB

 ii) Undertake 15 hours of studies in a day

iii) Get tuition between 8 am and 6 pm per week for 25 weeks in a year

iv) Studying a program of 1-year duration

v) Attend a course at or above NFQ Level 7

vi) Enrolled on a degree that is recognized by the Minister for Education and Skills

 

International students who wish to work and meet the above criteria should obtain a PPS number(Personal Public Services Number). Students will be asked to pay towards Taxation, pay related social insurance(PRSI), and universal social contribution(USC).

A probation period is common for students before employers can hire you for long-term employment. € 9.15 per hour is the minimum wage for all working individuals in Ireland.

Internship

Internships for students who are studying in Ireland are allowed when it forms apart of their course subject to the following conditions:

Employment cannot be more than 50% of the total duration of the course. Also, it cannot be self-employment

? The work placement must be an integral part of the course contributing to the final degree

? Universities must ensure that work is suitable to the program pursued

 

Opportunities for International Students after education

After you complete your studies it is very much possible to find employment under the Irish Third Level Graduate Scheme. It is a scheme that legally allows non-resident and non-EU third level graduates to stay and work in Ireland for 24 months post completion of education from an Irish higher education Institution. While they live in Ireland they can find permanent employment. Students can work for 40 hours per week under this scheme. The permission granted under the Graduate scheme cannot be renewed. To qualify for this scheme following are the conditions to be fulfilled:

1. International students should be notified by the relevant awarding institution on or after 1 January 2017 that they have been awarded the degree.

2. They should have a valid Stamp 2 student immigration permission, immigration registration card, and must apply within six months of being notified that they have been awarded the degree.

3. They must not exceed the 7 year limit on permission to stay as a non-EEA student in Ireland.

4. A graduate is not allowed to apply more than twice.

5. Students are expected to be of good character and must abide by the laws of the country under any circumstances.

6. They are asked to present the evidence of the award being presented to them by a parchment/ official letter from the institution, etc.

7. If you have been part of the Third Level Graduate Programme at a level 8 award or any award above that, then you should re-enter the Program which will be subject to a total limit of 8 year