If you're a recent college graduate looking to spend one year in Ireland to gain valuable experiences, or are a professional looking to advance you career further or you're thinking of setting up a home in Ireland your home for your family members, you'll be pleased to know that Ireland's warm and welcoming reputation is reinforced by a straightforward and easy immigration procedure.
Where are you coming from
If you're out of within the European Economic Area (EEA countries of the EU and Norway, Iceland & Liechtenstein) or Switzerland are fortunate. There is no need for an immigration visa to enter Ireland or an employment permit. Simply book a flight, it's that easy.
If you're planning to visit Ireland for more than 3 months from outside of the EEA or Switzerland You'll find the procedure in moving to Ireland simpler than other countries. It is possible to require an entry visa to Ireland depending on the location you're coming from and also an employee permit.
Visas allow you to travel to a foreign country and the employment permit permits you to work while you are there. The process for applying for visas and permits for employment are different and are issued by two separate department of government.
If your spouse or civil partner is a citizen of the EU/EEA and you are a citizen of the EU/EEA, then you may be able skip the process of obtaining a visa or work permit. If this is the case, you should get in touch with the member state that issued of your residency card for additional information.
Visas for Ireland
Find out what you require to get into Ireland depending on your country of origin on this page. Select your country of origin from the dropdown menu, then select the duration you're planning on staying in Ireland and the kind of visa that you require. You'll then receive the steps you'll need to do before you travel, after you leave, and when the time you arrive in Ireland. If you're planning to stay shorter than 90 days you must apply for the short-stay 'C' visa. If you plan to live and work in Ireland for longer than 90 days it is necessary to apply for a long-stay "D" visa.
The visas you need to Ireland is issued through the Department of Justice and Equality. You can make your online application from your home country and submit your hard copy application and supporting documentation to the relevant Irish Embassy/Consulate/Visa Office. The fee for visas is EUR60 and you may incur additional charges for gathering the documentation required to submit your application. You can generally expect a decision within 8 weeks from the date on which your application is lodged at the Embassy/Consulate/Visa Office.
Work Permits for Ireland
The department that issues employment permits is The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. When an employee has the employment license and has been employed in the field, they are entitled to all the Irish Employment Rights as Irish citizens. There are a variety of permits for employment however, for those who want to join the tech field there are two main choices: The Critical Skills Employment Permit and the General Employment Permit.
The Critical Skills Employment Permit
This permit is only available to people working in occupations listed that are listed on the Highly Skilled Eligible Jobs List. This is a great possibility for those employed in the technology industry since many of the abilities are in demand on the Irish labor market, such as Web design and development experts as well as programming and other ICT jobs.
There are numerous benefits to taking to go with the Critical Skills Employment Permit route:
Since the skills are recognized as in short supply Since the skills are in short supply, it is not necessary to conduct a Labour Market Needs Test is not necessary.
Permit holders can apply for immediate family reunification from the Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service of the Department of Justice and Equality and once their dependents/partners/spouses are resident in the State they are eligible to seek any employment and apply to the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation for a Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit which is currently issued free of charge.
Permit holders can submit an application to the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service for permission to stay and work in Ireland without the need for a work permit after expiration of their Critical Skills Employment Permit's period of validity.
The annual remuneration of the position being offered must not exceed EUR30,000. The prospective employee is required to have secured an offer of employment for two years with respect to the job work from the employer of the potential.
The cost for this permit is EUR1,000.
The General Employment Permit
The permit allows the holder to pursue jobs in a wider variety of occupations, but not those listed on the list of ineligible categories that are not eligible for Employment for Employment Permits.
The annual remuneration of the job should be at minimum EUR30,000. In certain circumstances the annual remuneration requirement could be reduced to EUR27,000. The following exceptions apply:
A non-EEA-based student who has completed his or her studies in less than 12 months from an overseas third-level college and is given a graduate job in the highly skilled eligible Jobs list.
A non-EEA student who graduated within 12 months of an institution outside of the EU and is given a graduate job in the ICT Category of the list of Highly Skilled Jobs list.
In both instances for both of these cases, to renew your permit you must earn at least EUR30,000.
The General Employment Permit (GEP) is granted for two years, and can be renewed for another three years. Permit holders might be permitted bring their dependents into Ireland after a period of one year, but they must be able to provide for their family financially. They may apply for residency within 5 years.
There is an EUR500 cost for a permit that is less than 6 months and a EUR1,000 cost for permits from 6 months to 2 years.
Application to be granted an employee permit
You must be offered an employment offer prior to applying for an Employment Permit. You may request an employee permit on your own or let your employer apply on your behalf. However, applications from recruiters and other agencies won't be considered. Employers can pay for costs associated with the application.
Applications can be made online as of the moment. The current process time for the two permits Critical Skills and General permits is approximately eight weeks.
Refusals of permits to work
There are several reasons for why an application for a work permit or renewal could be rejected.
You came to Ireland as a guest, not as an employee.
You are currently in Ireland illegally or do not satisfy the conditions that were in place when you first entered the country.
You have been deported or are being asked to depart Ireland through Department of Justice and Equality Department of Justice and Equality
You are looking for employment with a Swiss employer that is not an EA/Swiss company that is not authorized to operate in Ireland
Any refusal to issue employment permits can be appealed in the period of 28 days.
Permanent Residency in Ireland
In general, you are able to apply for residency after having lived in Ireland for five years. This is also applicable to the General Employment Permit applicants. As a great benefit for techies, Critical Skills Employment Permit holders are eligible to apply for residency within two years. After you've been granted residency, you will not require any additional work permits.
Be aware that the duration of your time that you are legally living in Ireland is not determined by the dates on your visa or work permits and is based on the date you sign up with Immigration. It is crucial to complete this process within the shortest time possible following your arrival, as delays in registering can result in serious issues in obtaining residence or additional visas or permits. In Dublin the registration process is with the Garda National Immigration Bureau in other areas outside Dublin you can sign up at the local Garda District headquarters. There is an EUR300 fee per document of registration granted.
Citizenship in Ireland
In the next five years, after five years residing and sustaining yourself within Ireland You may be eligible for citizenship. Being a citizen of Ireland allows applicants to an Irish passport and to vote in every Irish elections. It also is a condition of becoming an official citizen in the EU.