Work Visas - Ireland

Many foreign nationals are looking towards Ireland to live and work. There are plenty of opportunities in most sectors. Employment rates are still high and employers are often looking outside Ireland to fill some of their vacancies. Ireland offers a variety of work visas from short-term work permits and Intra Company transfers to the long-term Irish green card for those who wish to live and work in Ireland on a permanent basis.

Ireland Work Permits

Irish work permits require all applicants to have an offer of employment in place and allow an applicant to work for the sponsoring employer in the specified position only. If applicants wish to change changing employers they are permitted to do so after a period of one year, a separate application will have to be made to do so. Irish work permits are not expressly intended as a means to permanent settlement in Ireland, however they can potentially lead to the opportunity to apply for Irish citizenship if the minimum residency requirements are met. Irish work permits are usually granted for 2 years and in the case where the position is still in place and the requirements of the work permit continue to be fulfilled, a work permit extension of three years may be obtained. Beyond this extension, the candidate may extend their permit indefinitely and apply for Irish naturalization.

Applying for a Work Permit

The main advantage of applying for an Irish work permit over an Irish Green Card is that the salary requirements for the job offered are not as high and in many cases jobs do not have to be in shortage sectors as is the case with green card applications.

Generally work visa applications can only be submitted where the job being offered pays a minimum of €30,000. Not all sectors will be identified under the skills shortage; all positions must still undergo the Labour Market Needs Test which involves advertising the position and demonstrating that no existing Irish citizen or permanent resident is able to fill the position. All applicants must have the right qualifications and/or experience to fulfil the role being offered and the salary offered must be in line with what would be offered to an Irish native within the chose market.

A work permit applicant is allowed to apply for their spouse or partner and/or dependent children to join them in Ireland for the duration of their visa. If the dependents wish to work while living in Ireland they will have to apply for their own work permit.

Irish Work Permit - Intra Company Transfers (ICTs)

Intra Company Transfers (ICTs) are a specific class of work permit designed for overseas nationals employed within a branch or subsidiary of an Irish based company to relocate to Ireland to fulfil a specific role or to undergo training. Unlike a standard work permit, an ICT will not lead directly, or indirectly, to permanent residency.

ICTs are designed to benefit the company recruiting staff from overseas and applications may only be submitted by the sponsoring employer, not the applicants themselves. ICTs are issued for the duration of the role or project being undertaken, however an ICT may be granted for up to two years and may be extended to a total of five.

Applying for an ICT

Certain company key personnel and senior staff members temporality immigrating to Ireland through an ICT can be granted an initial duration of up to 24 months. Applicants must be earning a minimum of €40,000 per annum and must have worked for the sponsoring company for at least one year. Applicants in this stream must have a key knowledge of the services and/or products provided by the company and must be employed in a managerial role. ICTs are issued for a maximum of one year where the candidate is transferring to undergo training.

Irish Green Cards

Irish Green card applications allow candidates to apply for permanent residency in Ireland after only two years. The Irish green cards differ very much to the famous USA Green Card in the sense an immediate grant of permanent residency will not be awarded until at least two years before they can apply for permanent residency. Like a work permit, an Irish Green card requires applicants to have a prearranged offer of employment although for a Green Card application, the position must be in a shortage sector. In Ireland jobs offered under the Green Card scheme do not need to undergo labour market testing although the minimum salary requirements are usually higher.

Applying for an Irish Green Card

There are two categories to apply for an Irish Green card dependent upon individual salaries. Applicants who receive €60,000 or more, any occupation may be considered for citizenship while applicants who are under the €30,000 - €59,999 the options are more limited. In this stream applicants must have a job offer for a position in a strategically important field including jobs within IT, finance, healthcare, construction, and engineering.

Just like the Irish work permits the immediate family members of Irish green card applicants may join them in Ireland and will be permitted to work if they successfully apply for a spousal work permit or dependent work permit.

Irish Working Holiday Visa

Ireland offers a working holidaymakers visa which is issued for a maximum of one year and it is designed for those who wish to work in Ireland as part of an extended holiday. The working holiday offers a longer duration than a normal Irish visitor visa and allows the applicant to work in Ireland, which the visit visa does not. Irish working holiday visas do not lead to permanent residency in Ireland and applicants will be required to return to their country of residency on or before the expiry of their visa.

Candidates must be aged between 18 and 30 and must be able to finance their stay in Ireland. Applicants must not base their finances on the work they will perform whilst in Ireland and must be in a position to fund their stay at the time of their application. Applicants may only work for a maximum of 30 hours per week and it is not permitted to work for a single employer for more than three months.

Global Visas is an immigration consultant for Irish immigration. Our specialised consultants offer the complete range of Irish visas and immigration services. Visit the online assessment are today to find out if you're eligible for any of the abovementioned visa or if you need help with your visa application.