How To Get A Job Visa In Ireland
Moving to the largest island in Europe can be both exciting and daunting. There are thousands of people looking for work in Ireland each year, but most don’t know where to start. Here we’ll be showing you how to get a job visa in Ireland so you can get working.
My wife has been living in Ireland for more than a decade now. She got her working visa (job permit) in Ireland issued by the local commissioner. Now, this is not an easy process. The one thing I’ve learned about immigration officials, is that they love routine. Being polite and obviously trying to do some good (like finding a new home and making plans for it), never hurts! But if you don’t have the right papers, they can be really nasty — and if you’re unlucky, put you into dire straits by making you leave their country (it happened to me once with Nadya).
Have you just completed your studies or have you recently moved to Ireland from abroad and are wondering how to find a job? Here are some tips that might help you find employment and stay in Ireland legally.
The number of non-Irish nationals coming to Ireland has increased dramatically in recent years. This is has resulted in a high demand for visas and immigration services. If you want to be part of the Irish labor force, there are a variety of different immigration visas you can apply for.
How To Get A Job Visa In Ireland
The Ireland has always been a favourite destination for job seekers. The country has a long tradition of providing good quality jobs for its residents. In last couple of decades it has become popular as a location for placing your business, investing in real estate and even to begin a new life.
If you are a non-EU/EEA national who wants to work in Ireland, you will have to get permission to work from the Irish immigration authorities, ie. obtain an Ireland work permit. In addition, citizens of several countries also have to apply for an Ireland work visa so they can be allowed to enter Ireland in the first place.
Ireland work permits and work visas are issued by two different authority bodies in Ireland.
Before a visa-subject foreign national can apply for the Ireland work visa, they have to first find a job in Ireland and then apply for an Ireland work permit from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI).
Am I Subject to Irish Work Visa?
You only have to apply for an Ireland work visa if you are from a country whose nationals are subject to Irish visas.
However, keep in mind that whether you need an Ireland visa or not, if you are a non-EU/EEA national, you will still have to go through Border Control and request permission to enter from the immigration officers.
Types of Ireland Work Visas and Permits
There are about nine different types of Ireland employment permits, but the two most common ones are the Critical Skills Employment Permit and General Employment Permit.
Critical Skills Employment Permit
The Ireland Critical Skills Employment Permit is available at highly-skilled international workers, aiming to encourage them to come to Ireland and fill skills shortages in certain high-skill eligible occupations.
The eligible occupations under the Critical Skills Employment Permit include professionals in the fields of Natural and Social Science, Engineering, ICT, Health, Teaching and Education, Architecture etc.
The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation has a list on their website listing all the eligible professions.
Irish employers who hire international workers eligible for the Critical Skills Permit do not have to take the Labour Markets Needs Test.
Learn more about the Critical Skills Employment Permit here.
General Employment Permit
This Irish employment permit is issued to professions which do not qualify for the Critical Skills permit. There is no list of eligible occupations under the General Employment permit. You can apply for this type of Ireland employment permit under any profession, unless it is included in the list of “Ineligible Categories of Employment for Employment Permits”.
Learn more about the General Employment Permit here.
Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permits
These types of permits are issued to spouses, partners, or other dependents of a Critical Skills Employment Permit Holder.
If you receive an Ireland employment permit as the dependent, spouse, or partner of a Critical Skills Employment holder, you can work in any profession, even those on the ineligible occupations list, except as a domestic operative. Your application will also be free of charge.
Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit
The Ireland Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permit is issued to foreign workers who want to transfer to the Irish branch of a company they are already employed in. It is available to senior management, key personnel or trainees.
Internship Employment Permit
The Ireland Internship Employment Permit allows full-time foreign students who are enrolled in a third level educational institution outside Ireland to come to Ireland and gain work experience.
An Internship employment permit is issued for only 12 months and it cannot be renewed.
Contract for Services Employment Permit
The Ireland Contract for Services Employment Permit is issued to foreign workers who are still employed by a foreign company, but who come to Ireland to work on behalf of their employer, who has been contracted by an Irish national.
Sport and Cultural Employment Permit
The Ireland Sport and Cultural Employment Permit is issued to foreign nationals whose qualifications, skills, experience or knowledge in the field of sports and culture can help the development of these fields in Ireland.
Exchange Agreement Employment Permit
The Ireland Exchange Agreement Employment Permit is available to foreign workers who are coming to Ireland to work under an international exchange agreement, to which Ireland is part of, such as The Fulbright Programme, The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE), or AIESEC.
Reactivation Employment Permit
The Ireland Reactivation Employment Permit is available to former Employment Permit holders who lost their right to work in Ireland, but not due to their own fault. For example, if it was due to workplace exploitation or abuse.