Critical Skills Work Permit 2024
A person who is not from an EEA European Economic Area country and wishes to work in Ireland must have an employment permit permission to comply with S.2 of the Employment Permits Act 2003, unless an exemption applies.
What is a Critical Skills Work Permit ?.
A Critical Skills Employment permit is one type of work permit, which is designed for skilled workers who are in professions.
This post will give you an indication of occupations on the Critical Skills Occupations List to assess if they are relevant to you, eligibility criteria information, family reunification options, the application process and residency after you obtain your work permit.
If you have any questions regarding employment permits, we will be happy to help.
Critical Skills Employment Permit Ireland Occupations List
Your occupation must be listed on the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employments published Critical Skills Occupations List.
The Critical Skills Occupations Lists gets reviewed and then updated periodically.
The Employment Permits Amendment No. 3 Regulations 2023 amended the previous years statutory regulations.
It was announced by the Minster for State for Business on the 20th of December 2023 that the following occupations were added to the Critical Skills Occupations List, namely:
- Professional Forester
- Resource modelling, earth observation and data analyst
- Meteorologist
- Operational Forecaster
- Chemical Engineer
- Project Engineer
- BIM Manager
- Optometrist (Ophthalmic Optician)
- Commercial Manager
- BIM Coordinator/Technician
- Estimator
Eligibility
The employee should have a job offer of at least two years.
Remuneration and occupation type are two essential factors when assessing eligibility.
The job offer salary must have a minimum remuneration for an occupation listed on the Critical Skills Occupations List.
From the 17th of January 2024 a new Critical Skills permit annual threshold will be €38,000.
An applicant with a job offer where the minimum annual remuneration is €64,000, whose occupation is not listed on the Ineligible List of Occupations list can also apply. This applicant needs to prove they do have the experience and skills for the role offered.
This permit only permits the person to work with the specific employer and location on the permit.
If the person is a Nurse or Midwife, for example, your qualification must be recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.
50% of the employees working with the employer must be EEA nationals, except if the business is a start up and supported by a development ageny, such as the IDA.
A work permit is not permission to live in the state. Residence permission must be obtained from the Garda National Immigration Bureau.
Family Reunification
The Critical Skills Occupation permit holder is entitled to apply for family reunification from the Irish Immigration Service.
If the family member is from a visa required country, they must apply for a Visa.
Critical Skills Employment Permit Ireland Application
One makes the Application to the Department of Enterprise online here.
The application fee to the Department is €1,000. If the application is unsuccessful, then 90% of the application fee will be refunded.
Visa
If you are from a visa required country, and if you obtain your Critical Skills Employment Permit, you will have to apply and obtain a Visa to enter the state.
You need to register with the local Immigration Office when you arrive in Ireland to obtain your Irish Residence Permit card.
Application Granted
If the Critical Skills Employment Permit is granted, the permission to work will be for 2 years.
Renewal Permit
Here is a separate information post about renewals.
Work Permit Processing Time
Here is an information link to the processing times.
It is difficult to give exact timeframes.
Immigration Lawyer
If you have questions about employment permits, you can speak with an immigration lawyer on (01) 546 1121 or (052) 612 1999.
Disclaimer
Please be advised that the above-mentioned material is intended as an overview and as a broad out-line of the topic discussed. It should not be considered as complete and comprehensive legal advice, nor act as an appropriate substitute.
Due care has been taken in the publication of this article and we do not accept legal liability as a result of reliance on any material covered in the above article.
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